One Last Round
by twistedlittlespunk
Summary: Beca Mitchell is a renowned DJ and producer, one who worked hard and was always composed. Chloe Beale is a scatterbrained artist with a crazy past. After years apart the two reunite and things get interesting.
1. Chapter 1

Beca Mitchell is a renowned DJ and producer, one who worked hard and was always composed. Chloe Beale is a scatterbrained artist with a crazy past. After years apart the two reunite and things get interesting.

Chloe tugged at the loose red curls falling into her face, she was trying to figure out the focal point in her latest piece. Her series "Brunette" had won her a few awards and honorable mentions within the artist' community. The series followed a faceless, nameless brunette on her journeys through life. It explored lust, love, happiness, depression, and her world travels. No one knew who the girl was supposed to be but they loved the art so much it landed Chloe her own expose. New York had been a great place to get it all out, especially since the girl the paintings were about was 3,000 miles away.

Beca didn't keep in touch with the Bellas the way she wished she had. They were her family and you didn't just forget about family. Sure, she texted them on birthdays and holidays, but they all had to be honest; life just got in the way. Despite not being in touch with the Bellas Beca loved being in LA, it was so different from her life in Georgia. She was happier here and she flourished in the LA night life. In fact, it had taken to her like a lost puppy. She was the hottest DJ in town, her records hitting #1 in the nation and landing spots in the top ten internationally. As a producer though she sky rocketed. She had a knack for helping artists' find their voice, quite literally. Almost all of her famous clients had awards. Grammy's, Teen's Choice Awards, MTV Awards, you name it. Beca Mitchell was becoming a household name.

As Chloe sat on her couch in her studio she pondered over a painting, wine glass in hand. There was something missing from the piece. Everywhere she went the brunette followed. She saw her in coffee shops she passed by, she saw her walk by her at the mall, she invaded her dreams. They were the only place she could really love her. The only place she could hold her hand and feel her body next to hers. Every night it was the same dream.

" _Chloe, I'm home!" Beca calls out, placing her briefcase on the living room table and slipping off her converse. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a white tee, and a black vest. It was Chloe's favorite outfit of hers. She found that it fit in all the right places._

" _Coming!" Chloe shouted back, and Beca could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Looking up she came face to face with the redhead. A quick smile flashed across her lips, and Chloe swept her into a tight hug. Chloe could feel her fingers running through her lover's thick brown hair. Her scent, almost musky, filled her senses. This was her favorite place, in Beca's arms. As she pulled away to look into her deep blue eyes Beca let her grip loosen, and their eyes met._

 _Beca leaned in to kiss her, and Chloe let her. She could feel the shivers start from her head and her heart fluttered, sending even more shivers down the rest of her body. As she pulled away from the kiss she saw the look of disdain on Beca's face._

" _What's wrong baby?" Chloe can feel her arms shaking, and she starts to lose her voice._

" _I can't do this Chlo, it wasn't meant to be. I left you for a reason."_

And that's the part where she wakes up. Every single time. They kiss and then she's left alone in the darkness of her dreams and wakes up to an empty bed and a lonely life.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Bec, I need you in the office first thing Monday morning. We have a very important meeting with Mixer Recording studio and you're going to be the star of the show." Josh, Beca's assistant, beamed. He was always so proud of Beca. After Barden and living with her dad, Beca had made it out here on her own. The two met at a coffee shop Josh had been working at and immediately hit it off. It worked well, he needed a job and she needed help navigating the big leagues. As time went on they became closer and Beca became more famous, which meant Josh had more of a job and responsibility to his best friend than a side job for extra cash. He was into the night life more than Beca was, so he kept her up to date on everything that was going on. She preferred to be in the studio working with artists on their sounds. It was something Aubrey had instilled in them at Bellas boot camp. Beca would never forget that weekend. She and Chloe fought like a married couple. Everyone thought it was stress, but they knew what was really going on.

The first night they were there they all slept in a large tent side by side in their sleeping bags. Of course Beca and Chloe had picked the spots next to each other. No one would have gotten in the way of 'Bloe' as Fat Amy called them.

"You know, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't do enough experimenting in college." The tent was dark but she could see Chloe's lips turn into a slight smile. She raised her eyebrows in question.

"Oh? I think I've done quite enough." Chloe shot up at the remark, looking at her friend in disbelief.

"Oh my god Beca!" She threw a hand over the red head's mouth to quiet her. She didn't want all of the Bellas to know.

"Hush! Yes, a few times. After parties and stuff. It was with a few of the High Notes girls. It was…okay." Chloe still had an incredulous look on her face. She wanted more of an explanation and Beca was not going to give it to her in the middle of the entire team of sleeping Bellas. She huffed herself out of her sleeping bag and helped Chloe up, walking out of the tent and to the water's edge.

"Yeah, so I kissed a few girls. It was no biggie." Beca's arms were crossed and she kicked rocks into the water. She didn't understand why they had to have this conversation right now.

"I can't believe you never told me! We're like, best friends Bec. You tell me everything. I'm seriously hurt by this!"

"It was nothing Chlo, just a kiss here and there. I didn't even like it that much." That was a lie. Kissing the two girls from High Notes was an immense amount of fun. Beca had never felt sparks like that, unless Chloe was holding her hand or touching her waist or helping her learn a new dance routine.

"So, it was…okay?" Chloe pressed on, eager to learn more. Beca turned sharply and was face to face with the redhead. She gasped a little and let out a sigh.

"Yeah, just okay." _Not as okay as kissing you would be._ She thought to herself. Chloe was so close, she could see her lips tremble from the cold. It was then she realized it was cold, and they probably had to head back to the tent.

"C'mon Chlo, let's go back. You're shivering." Before Beca could move her Chloe let her mind speak.

"What did it feel like? Kissing a girl." She retreated into herself, nervous that she may have been a bit too brash with her friend. Beca saw the chance and she took it. She walked back to Chloe and took her into her arms and kissed her gently. The fire that sparked inside her was dangerous. It was unreal and she wanted that moment to last an eternity.

"Like that. It felt like that. Now, can we please go back inside?" Chloe was shocked but she remained silent. They went back into the tent and laid their respective ways, neither girl falling asleep quick.

"Hello, earth to Beca?" Josh's voice filled Beca's ears.

"Yes I'm here, sorry I lost track there. What's going on?"

"Meeting! Monday! Be there!" He shrieked at her as he threw a manila folder of paper work her way. Josh was always so dramatic, but Chloe loved having him around. He was a great guy, and he was a hard worker. It was always hard to find people with her work ethic after she left the Bellas.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, thanks for the follows and favorites! I swear the chapters will get longer when the story gets better. I'm trying my hand at the story so if you really like it I'll definitely try my best to keep up with it!**

Chloe paced back and forth, music blaring in her headphones. Her favorite song, Titanium, was supposed to calm her down but tonight it did nothing. She couldn't get her issue with the painting solved. It stared at her mocking her, like a child. She needed to take the bull by the horns and get shit done, but she just couldn't concentrate. It was hard enough on a regular day, but today was the 3 year anniversary of the first time she and Beca had kissed. It wasn't a magical event or anything, but Chloe remembered every detail of it. What Beca was wearing, how she bit her lip before she kissed her. How she wanted to melt into every pore of Beca's body and stay there, content in the safety and warmth of the smaller girl. It was always like that though, Chloe pined after Beca the first day they met and sometimes it felt like Beca was the most oblivious girl in the world.

Chloe attempted to distract herself with more music, but singing just made her think of Beca. She figured a few glasses of wine would help calm her, and maybe even provoke some more art to be made. She danced to the kitchen and poured half a glass of Zinfandel for herself, sipping slowly so she could savor the taste. It was dry, a bit bitter, and it represented her life very well. Chloe lost control and threw the glass of wine at the unfinished painting in front of her. It shattered into what could have been a million pieces and stained the canvas Chloe had worked so hard on. It wasn't fair that Beca lived an extraordinary life wherever she was, becoming so famous and popular while Chloe sat around thinking about her day in and day out. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to forget her face. Oh no, many nights she spent with other people pretending to be interested, pretending to like what they did to her. She could never get the image of her best friend, the girl she was in love with, out of her mind.

Chloe picked up her phone and dialed a number by heart. She knew in times like these there was only one person she could call. The phone rang twice until a sweet voice answered it.

"Aubrey Posen." Chloe smiled, even though Aubrey knew it was her, she never failed to introduce herself.

"Hey Brey. Got a minute?" Chloe finally relaxed into a sitting position, staring at the shards of glass on the floor.

"For you, anything! What's up?" Aubrey ran a tight ship and didn't like to dilly dally. She knew if her best friend was calling at this hour that something was wrong.

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to hear my best friend's voice! I miss you, blondie. When are you coming to see me?" Aubrey scoffed.

"Next Friday Chloe, for your big show! Duh!" Chloe let out a sigh of relief. She just had to get past this one week of torture before she could relax and shit-talk with Aubrey, face to face. It was more fun that way, you could watch Aubrey's nose crinkle when Chloe said something she didn't like.

"Okay, then I will see you then!" She sang, and hung up. Defeated for the night Chloe passed out on the couch, ignoring any calls, texts, or responsibilities she may have had.

Waking up from another dream about Beca, Chloe stumbled off the couch and into her room. Adorning her nightstand was a picture of the Bellas the year she graduated. She looked at the photo, the memory replaying in her head. Beca was threatening to leave if Fat Amy didn't come out at that very moment and Fat Amy had straightened her hair which was rare. Chloe had stared so hard at Beca she was surprised she didn't burn a hole through her robes. She looked insatiably cute as she was frustrated that she had to wear a Barden colored cap and gown. Chloe remembered that day vividly because she knew it was the last time that she and her beloved Bellas would be a family. She wasn't sure what the real world held for her, but she knew it would be without her family and she tried so hard to suck it up. She placed the photo down, trying again to get Beca off of her mind. She crawled into bed and wrapped herself in the cool sheets, letting the night fade into her memory as she slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all! So I told you the chapters would be getting longer. Stay tuned, some juicy stuff coming up! Oh, and in case it needs to be said I don't own Pitch Perfect 1 or 2. I also don't own Suzuki or Jeep.**

Beca spent the weekend at her beach house. It was where she went to get away from her crazy busy life. Her alarm went off at 7 in the morning, causing her to slam it to the floor. She was never a morning person. She stretched as she got up and pressed play on her radio, Titanium playing loudly. It was her favorite song, and the first song her and Chloe had sang together. Yes, she was naked and Chloe had barged in on her relentless to hear her sing but it was still a great song with great memories.

"It's my Lady Jam." Chloe had told her. She hadn't put two and two together at the time but as they got closer over the years she understood exactly what it meant. Since that day Titanium had been her go to song when she was sad or stressed or when she drank too much and was feeling emotional, which didn't happen often. Beca stood in front of the mirror and decided it was a jeans and t-shirt kinda day, stripping her pajamas and examining her body.

"I'm hot. I'm smart. I'm gonna kick ass!" She repeated her mantra three times in front of the mirror. It would look silly to anyone else, but it was something the Chloe had taught her to do when she was feeling insecure or needed a self-esteem booster. No one knew, but she had done it every single day since her sophomore year. She would wait until Fat Amy was out of the room and normally did it with her clothes on, but when she finally had her own place she found it gave her a great sense of security. It really did help, she started every day on the right foot because she believed in herself. After her morning routine of self-esteem boosting and a hot shower, she made herself a cup of coffee and sat down with the newspaper. Nothing new was happening in LA, no important gossip or even news to read. She flipped to the comics and laughed to herself as she read them. Looking at her phone she realized she had spent way too long on comics and ran to her closet, slipping on her favorite pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt. She grabbed her things and ran out of the house, jumping onto her Suzuki Boulevard C50 and riding off. She loved her motorcycle, almost as much as she loved music. She only rode it to the beach house and back, keeping it hidden and well maintained. Her day to day car, a 2015 Wrangler Unlimited Sport, was her other baby. She rode for what felt like eternity, it was an important meeting and she wasn't sure how today was going to go. Parking on an off-street so no one saw her, Beca dismounted her bike and walked the rest of the way to the studio, making sure her she didn't have helmet hair along the way.

As she walked through the double doors to the studio Josh rushed to her side, handing her a coffee as they made their way to the meeting room.

"You're almost late. What took you so long?" She didn't make eye contact with him but smiled as she replied.

"Calvin." Josh stopped in his tracks.

"Klein?!" She busted out laughing as they entered the room, Josh genuinely confused. In front of them stood a large man in a black suit. He was tinkering with his phone that looked too small in his burly hands.

"Hi there, I'm Beca Mitchell. It's nice to meet you." He looked up innocently at the sound of her voice and he lit up like a firecracker.

"Oh! Ms. Mitchell it's so nice to see you! My name is Roger Kurvinski" He had a Boston accent and smelled like expensive cologne. They shook hands, Beca making sure she had a tight grip. Another thing she learned from the Bellas; men almost always expect women to be weaker.

"I'm glad I made it on time. Mornings aren't my favorite." He chuckled and they sat down at the same time, sitting across from each other at the table.

"Do you mind if I keep my phone on? My wife is probably going to be calling soon regarding our son's academic success." Beca shook her head and sipped at her coffee.

"Of course not. I understand completely. We can make the meeting as short as you'd like, if you need to leave. Just let me know." He nodded and looked thankful, Beca wasn't one to stand in the way of family.

"So, my business partner and I just recently opened up a large studio in the Upper East end of New York. Now it's mostly an art studio, but we're both very fond of music and art. I know this isn't really about recording but Mixer Studios likes to, well, mix it up. We've already booked an artist and we understand it's a small scale event but we were wondering if you'd be interested in being the DJ for the weekend. We're trying to attract a younger crowd to the art scene and we really believe your music could do just that." He slid over some paper work which included the layout of the studio and the space she would have to work. It was a large place and the way it was constructed gave ample room for equipment, art work, and the crowd it would hopefully attract. She looked over the contract regarding the time frame and legal issues of the gig, including media coverage and pay.

"When do you need an answer by?" She asked, still shifting through papers.

"Well the opening is Friday, so by Tuesday the very latest Wednesday. Or else we may end up using someone's IPod." They both laughed. The sound of a ringtone going off alerted Beca and she looked up. He looked at her apologetically but she waved it off, showing him the door to the hall so he could take his call. He stood up and answered as he walked out.

"Well, what do you think? The last time you went to New York was when you were working with Sia, and it was for like a day." Josh studied her expression, hoping she would agree.

"I mean, I don't see why not. The media coverage is little, which will actually be nice. I'm always down for 'attracting a younger crowd' and all that. It looks like it'll be fun. We can stay there a few days, I hear the Lion King is playing on Broadway and I know you're dying to see half naked men dance on stage." Josh's eyes lit up at her last sentence, making Beca laugh. There was no reason not to accept the offer. A lot of artists she knew worked with She didn't care about the money, she just wanted to play her music and make people happy. A few minutes later Roger walked back in, phone in hand.

"My apologies again, all good news though." He was beaming, and Beca ventured to ask why.

"Good news?" She leaned in, excited to learn what was going on.

"Yes, my son has been named valedictorian of his graduating class. He'll be graduating high school in a month or so." Beca stood up and high fived him.

"Well Roger, now's a good time as any! I'll definitely do the gig, and I'm honored you asked me." The man looked like he was about to cry.

"Wow, thank you so much! I just need you to sign the bottom of those two pages in the contract and we can work out any kinks you may find or if you just need something done a specific way. Whatever you want or need my partner and I can make sure is done for you." They shook hands again and Roger packed up the remnants of his belongings.

"I hope you know this is going to look amazing when I go back to the studio. I believe Mixer Studios and Ms. Beca Mitchell will have a great relationship."

He walked out of the meeting room and Beca squealed, Josh matching her perfectly.

"This is amazing, Bec. We can get your name even further out there, we get to go to New York, and you get to do what you love. This will be awesome. I'll talk to Natalie about preparing a hotel room and getting tickets booked. We only have a few days so you better get ready!"

Beca rushed out of the studio after finishing her coffee and ran back to her bike. Her adrenaline was pumping and everything felt great. Josh was right, the last time they went to New York they had barely seen any of the city. It was time to explore a little, have some fun outside of LA. Speaking of fun, she had a party to go to tonight.

She drove back to her house and played a few rounds of Mario Kart while she ate a ham and cheese sandwich and lounged around. Things hadn't changed much since college. She was still lazy and without Bellas rehearsal or class to go, her life was full of free time. She spent much of it working or eating or sleeping. Those were the three things she was best at, and the three things she loved. Chloe would have killed her for missing a beautiful day like this. But Chloe wasn't there, and what Chloe didn't know wouldn't hurt her. After several hours of accomplishing absolutely nothing, Beca changed into black skinny jeans and grabbed her leather jacket. She checked herself in her mirror and tousled her hair a little bit. She never knew when someone was going to snap a picture or who she may run into.

She dropped her Jeep off at the VIP valet and went inside the mansion that towered above her. House parties weren't always her thing but she knew if she missed this, Fat Amy would never let her live it down. Inside were hundreds of people dancing and drinking and hanging out. She went directly to the third floor, where she knew she could find her friend.

As if on cue, Amy stepped from behind a young man and wrapped an arm around her small friend.

"Hey, Beca fucking Mitchell is here, bitches!" She yelled out to no one in particular. A few people clapped but everyone was already drunk enough to be slurring and inching their way around the house half-way on the floor.

"Hi Amy." She replied, her voice barely audible above the music. Amy had done well for herself in California. She had her own comedy show that aired at midnight every Friday where she would do ridiculous things and interview famous people in ridiculous places like on roller coasters, in the pool, or at a packed wrestling event (in the ring of course). She was popular and well liked, and Beca was a regular on the show. She offered a good balance to Amy's crazy antics.

"Do you want some Jungle Juice, short stack? The party is just getting started!" Amy yelled again, a bit too close to Beca's ear.

"I have to catch up with you, don't I?" She followed her friend downstairs to the kitchen and poured her a large glass of her dangerous concoction. Beca gulped it down as fast as she could. It had taken her a while to get used to the taste, but Amy had been making this since their freshman year at Barden so their tolerance to it was high. It brought good memories though, the smell reminding Beca of the time her and Chloe had danced so close she thought they would melt into one person. Not that she would have minded that, of course. Close was never close enough when it came to Chloe. She may have had boundary issues but Beca always enjoyed the red head's sincerity and warmth.

The party was at its peak when Beca was finally drunk. It was really the only way she was comfortable enough dancing around people, especially when she wasn't the one making the music happen. She danced with a few girls who didn't need to ask twice, and shot down every guy who even looked her way. If there was one thing Beca had grown sure of, it was her sexuality. Not that she was open about it or made it known, but guys made her uncomfortable and she just wasn't attracted to them. She learned that the hard way after trying desperately to make it work with Jesse. He was a great guy and an awesome friend, but that's all he would ever be. He was so hurt after the break-up that they didn't talk for months. When they finally did, he was getting ready to move out to a remote island off the coast of the Philippines to do some crazy charity work. He had been there for about three years and they barely even had contact through mail. Beca slammed into the couch, drunk as could be. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had been this drunk. Amy found her way next to her and looked at the brunette.

"So, you talked to Chloe?" Beca knew this was coming, but she was too gone to care.

"No." She answered briefly, just above a whisper.

"I miss Bloe. You two were good together. I don't get what happened. I know we all lost contact, I mean I don't even have anyone's number. I'm really famous though so they can see my face on TV." Beca laughed heartedly at the blonde, knowing she meant well.

"I don't know Amy. I'm too drunk for this." Amy nodded in agreement but cleared her throat.

"She's got an opening this weekend for a big show. It's a big break for her, she's in New York. Did you know?" Beca shook her head, falling asleep as she fell on Amy's shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe was unaware that 5 days could go by so fast. She planned her week out in front of her, down to the last minute.

"If five days is 120 hours and I sleep exactly eight hours every night I have to deduct forty hours from 120 which leaves me with eighty hours and then at least two hours a day eating which means I really only have seventy hours left to finish these pieces. Actually I need at least 3 hours to set up the rest of the gallery so…fuck. I'm never going to get this done!" She shrieked in anger. Tousling her hair she stood back and stared at a blank canvas. She needed to get her frustrations out somehow. She dipped her hand in a pint of blue paint and just stroked it across the blank space. The color illuminated it but it wasn't enough. She rubbed her hand all over the page, wanting to rid her body of the tense anxiety she felt. This was a huge deal for her. She had pieces show in galleries before, but never had she had a gallery exclusively for her work. It was a dream come true, if she could only finish the damn things. She always used stress painting to cope, and she pulled out her container of yellow paint. It was very Van Gogh of her, but she thought the bright color might make her a little happier. Dipping her opposite hand in it, she stroked the other way across the blue, and looked at the huge X now adorning the canvas.

"This is fucking useless." She spat out, running to the kitchen. She scrubbed the paint off her hands and from under her finger nails, making sure they were meticulous. She may have let a lot of things get messy in her studio but never her. She took out the same bottle of Zinfandel and poured herself a glass, this time using a paper cup in case she got angry again. Anger never used to get to Chloe. In fact, she was always a level headed girl. After she left the Bellas though, there was no Aubrey or Beca to keep her in check. At least she still talked to Aubrey. And Fat Amy checked in on her every once in a while which was nice, considering she never thought they were super close to begin with. In fact she had recently called her, Chloe told her about her gallery opening up and they caught up on Amy's latest ideas for the show, which Chloe had some insight on. Her second method of coping which almost always worked was singing. She picked up a hair brush and belted it.

 _I'm standing on a bridge_ _  
_ _I'm waiting in the dark_ _  
_ _I thought that you'd be here by now_ _  
_ _There's nothing but the rain_ _  
_ _No footsteps on the ground_ _  
_ _I'm listening but there's no sound_

Avril Lavigne was reserved for special occasions. Chloe laughed as she remembered the first time she admitted to being a huge fan. Beca had laughed at her for hours. Chloe knew the truth though, there was something about her older songs that just, captivated you.

 _Isn't anyone trying to find me?_ _  
_ _Won't somebody come take me home?_ _  
_ _It's a damn cold night_

 _Trying to figure out this life_ _  
_ _Won't you take me by the hand?_ _  
_ _Take me somewhere new_ _  
_ _I don't know who you are_ _  
_ _But I... I'm with you_ _  
_ _I'm with you_

Chloe let her soul into the song, feeling all the anxiety wash over her. She loved art, but nothing would ever replace singing for her. It was like a drug that gave her the best high, and she would always be addicted. She stopped singing for a moment and looked at her reflection in a small mirror hanging on the wall across from her.

"You are smart, you are beautiful, you are strong." She always took time out of her day to make sure she repeated her self-esteem mantra. It was something she learned in a Psychology class she took at Barden and it had stuck with her since. She had taught it to all of her Bellas, knowing some would use it more than others. Feeling a lot less stressed about the situation, Chloe picked up a paint brush and moved to the canvas that she had spilled wine on. Since there was red already splashed on it, she began to paint wildly. It would be the anger piece in the series. She hadn't done one yet and she felt like it would be the best one to add last minute. Rushed, hard, broken, incomplete and dangerous, like anger was. A few hours passed as she added some finishing touches to the piece. She was so relieved that it was done, she sat on the wood floor and stared at it. Suddenly her phone vibrated, and she smiled as she saw Roger's name pop up on the caller ID.

"Hey Rog!" She said, more content than she had been the last time they spoke.  
"Hey Chloe. So great news, the DJ said yes. We'll have some hot beats playing at your opening." Chloe squealed. She loved music and art together and was 100% supportive of Roger's idea to have the event have live music. She wouldn't be singing, but it was the next best thing.

"We agreed to have everyone meet Thursday so we can go over itinerary and fix up any schedules or what not. Also that gives a little time for some prep work in the studio. Have your team come, I'll have mine too. The artist said their people will help too." Chloe was absolutely ecstatic, but she was also a bit nervous. Roger hadn't told her who the DJ would be and she hoped it was someone who had real talent.

"Are you gonna tell me who's playing the soundtrack to my weekend?" She practically begged.

"No ma'am. You'll find out. I know you're gonna be in love though." Chloe huffed at the response and they said their goodbyes. That meant she just had to finish one new painting before Friday, she would make it something small. Maybe a self-portrait or something abstract. She wasn't worried about it anymore. She cleaned up her paints and washed off her brushes, making sure they were in good shape before using them again. She may have made good money, but art supplies were expensive and she wanted what she had to last her as long as possible.

Feeling light and airy Chloe made her way to her bed, she decided to treat herself to something she didn't do very often. Turning off all the lights in the studio, Chloe turned on her TV and changed the channel to one of the very romantic, very steamy, rated x shows. Climbing under the covers, she began to massage her breasts, and trailed her fingers across her abdomen and thighs. She thought about the person she wished was doing this to her, and dirty thoughts flooded her mind. The background noise was helping and she felt herself get hotter and wetter. Finally she slipped a finger over her clit and then inside of herself, feeling how wet she really was. Using her own wetness, she began to rub her clit gently, moaning at the sensation. She spread her lips for better access, rubbing faster and harder. It took her just a few minutes to reach her climax, biting down on her lip hard as she came. She lay there motionless for a moment, regaining her breath and vision. After composing herself she turned the TV off and curled into her pillow, pretending Beca was holding her as she drifted off to sleep.

Chloe woke a few hours later and showered, washing off any remnants of what had transpired earlier. She threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top and hopped in her car, she realized she was almost out of food and desperately needed to go shopping. Of course Chloe had a running list saved on her phone of things she needed. Butter, eggs, potatoes, carrots, ice cream. She lived for homemade meals and loved to cook for herself and friends. She mostly was alone, artist seemed to do that very well. It wasn't that she didn't want or didn't have friends, it's just that everyone was always too busy to hang out.

Passing the beer aisle Chloe stopped and grabbed a twelve pack of Blue Moon, mentally noting that she had to get a few oranges to go along with it. She tried her hardest to keep the shopping trip short, but her list was long and her stomach was growling. She should know that she always needed to eat after masturbating, it was something that happened no matter what. She unloaded her groceries onto the conveyor belt and watched as her total kept rising. She would eat herself out of house and home if she wasn't careful. $176 later Chloe packed her car up and headed home, dreading the fact she had to carry it all inside and put it away. As always, she put the perishable items away first and left canned and boxed food in the kitchen to put away later. An episode of Game of Thrones was in order.

After three and a half episodes, Chloe was exhausted and had no energy to put any more groceries away. She stripped again and got into bed, pulling her phone off the bedside table and checking Facebook. There were a few notifications from high school friends and some new puppy videos from some blogs she followed, but that was the only exciting thing happening. She would be sending out invitations to her gallery opening first thing tomorrow. They were already made, they just needed to be copied and pasted and sent to the right people. She was looking forward to the next stage of her life, she didn't know where it was going to take her and she didn't care. She turned her phone off and closed her eyes, meditating for a while before she fell asleep dreaming of her true love.

 **Hey all, thanks so much for the follows and reviews! I'm really happy you like it, I was super nervous about posting since I haven't written/posted since 2013. Anyway, told you it was going to get good! Just wait 'til the next chapter, it's gonna be fun. :) (Also I don't own Game of Thrones or PP1 or PP2)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! Thanks for all the follows and love, it means a lot! I hope you like this chapter, it took a little while (I lose focus a lot and work overnight so I sleep all day, haha.) but I'm happy with the overall chapter. Let me know what I should work on or if you like it or not. (As if it needs to be said I don't own any of these songs or characters)**

Beca woke up the next morning with a terrible taste in her mouth. Her entire body felt like she had been hit by a train and her head was still spinning. She now remembered why she didn't drink Fat Amy's Jungle Juice in excess, this always happened. Beca was small to begin with and with the amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before, she should probably still be drunk. She leaned down to where her liver was and whispered 'sorry' as Amy walked in.

"Hey pint-size. Sleep okay on the couch?" Beca sat up and realized she was in the living room on the third floor, which was Amy's private floor where only certain guests were allowed. It made her feel safe knowing she had such a good friend to look after her.

"I feel like I got hit by a train. But yeah, I didn't even realize I passed out." She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to look a bit presentable. Fat Amy was ushering out a few male models from her room as she closed the door and stood in front of Beca, arms crossed.

"You're a baby. You can't even hold your liquor!" The two friends laughed with each other. Beca could feel a tension between the two of them, but neither said a word.

"I'm going to New York on Friday. I've got a gig." She said rather proudly.

"I know, you told me last night. Right after I shoved 7 Pringles in my mouth. Remember I spit them all over you? You've got some in your hair I think." Amy went to touch Beca's head but she swatted her hand away.

"Ew dude, that's gross. I have to go anyway, I need to get packed." The two girls said their goodbyes and Beca made sure to grab a water bottle on her way out. She drove home slowly, making sure she was focusing on the road. She was always a safe driver but she took extra pre-caution after nights like that. She racked her brain on the events of the party but only remembered little snippets. She was sure it would come to her later, so she wasn't too worried. There were no embarrassing pictured or crazy stories leaked so she was sure everything was fine. She parked her Jeep in the driveway and unlocked the door. Josh was already waiting for her, sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. The two were close enough that he practically lived with her, coming and going as he pleased.

"Hey dude!" She yelled out, throwing her keys on the counter and the empty water bottle in the recycling bin. Josh stood up, placing the bowl on the counter and meeting Beca face to face.

"Becs! Hey! How are you?" He hugged her tight, he was being unnecessarily cheery and it tipped Beca off.

"What's going on?" She asked, worry coating her words. She looked around the house to make sure no one else was there and that no one was going to jump out and surprise her. She hated surprises.

"Um, we need to have a little chat about New York." He took her hand and ushered her to the living room, sitting her down on the large leather couch.

"Natalie and I were digging through the paper work and some emails between Mixer Studios and our team and we found out some pretty interesting information. We figured you'd want to prepare for this."

She started to panic. Was she getting fired? Had they hacked their systems and found out all of Beca's trade secrets? Were they actually part of a terrorist cell group? Beca scratched the last one from her mind, realizing how ridiculous it sounded.

"Okay so you know how you're doing this for art and stuff?" He un-enthusiastically waived his arms at the word 'art' and continued.

"Well the artist you'll be working with, is someone you already know. Beca, you're going to be the DJ at Chloe Beale's gallery opening." Beca's heart stopped beating. Fat Amy's words rang in her head.

 _"She's got an opening this weekend for a big show. It's a big break for her, she's in New York. Did you know?"_

Her mind raced. _Shit. Shit. Shit! How the hell am I supposed to work with her after years of not talking?_ She couldn't breathe, her eyesight became blurry and nothing was making sense. Walls were closing in on her. Just thinking about Chloe for more than a minute or two made her weak. The thought of seeing her in person, talking to her, working with her, caused her to panic. Small beads of sweat began to form on her forehead and her palms were clammy. She tried to stand but she was too dizzy.

"Beca? Beca listen to me- it's okay. We don't have to go. We can cancel on them. Beca come back to me, breathe." Josh's words weren't helping as much as they normally did. Panic attacks weren't common for her, but they did happen every once in a while. Not as bad as this though. Josh knew better than to try anything else, so instead he sat there with his friend and held her hand. He didn't want to hold her and make her feel any more restricted than she already did. He handed her his glass of water and watched as she began to come back. After a few moments of breathing she made eye contact with him. His brown eyes held sympathy and her blue ones were soft and scared. As strong as Beca was, Chloe was always her weak spot.

"I, why didn't they tell us." She breathed out, finally regaining her composure.

"I'm not sure. But we can let them know we won't be able to do it."

"No, I already signed the contracts. I'll do it. I can do it." She stood up finally and stretched her legs.

"I'm going to go make some mixes." And with that, Beca disappeared into her room.

After a few hours of mixing some new songs together Beca couldn't comprehend what was on the screen in front of her. She was used to staring at a computer for long periods of time but today felt different. She closed her laptop after saving her work and looked up at her ceiling. She was going to have to deal with this. She would suck it and be an adult about it, leave the past in the past and just move on. Chloe always made Beca weak in the knees. She made her question everything. She remembered the first time Chloe had made her question her entire existence. It was auditions, and Beca wasn't prepared in the slightest to sing Kelly Clarkson. For some reason though, Chloe gave the OK to preform something else.

"Can I?" She asked, pointing to the yellow plastic cup sitting in front of the red head. Aubrey looked shocked, and a bit confused.

"Absolutely, yeah." Awkwardly she dumped out the pens and pencils and sat directly in front of Chloe, not comfortable preforming for or acknowledging anyone else. She began the beat and the words flowed out of her easily.

 _I got my ticket for the long way round_

 _Two bottles of whiskey for the way_

 _And I sure would like some sweet company_

 _I'm leaving tomorrow wha-do-ya say?_

Even though Beca was initially looking down, once she gained her confidence their eye contact never broke. Chloe's smile wasn't fading and her crystal clear blue eyes burned into Beca's memory.

 _When I'm gone_

 _When I'm go-one_

 _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

 _You're gonna miss me by my hair_

 _You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh_

 _I know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone._

The girls didn't know how truthful the song would turn out to be. She remembered the first time Aubrey let her remix one of their practices in the abandoned swimming pool. The initial song wasn't Beca's idea but Bruno Mars was singing some truth with Just the Way You Are, and she smiled when she remembered Chloe's face when she brought in the second song to mix it with. Even Aubrey was pleased with the way they sounded. But those stolen glances between the two girls were hard miss. It was the same way at the campfire, when they finally found their sound. There was a reason Chloe sang the Cup Song. Chloe and Beca were destined for each other it seemed, they just had to find their sound again. This didn't make Beca feel any more confident about the whole situation, but she knew it was fate and you never argued with fate. She ran downstairs and popped a few pizza bites into the microwave, calling Fat Amy.

"Hello you've reached Fat Amy the professional Dingo wrestler. I'm busy either riding a Kangaroo or hitting up a hottie. Leave a message or whatever." The loud beep that followed rang in Beca's ears.

"Hey Fat Amy. It's Beca. Listen, I remember what we talked about last night. I need some last minute advice about the, uh, Bloe situation? Call me later weirdo."

A few minutes later, as she was stuffing a pizza bite in her mouth, her pone vibrated once.

 _Tell her you're sorry. Apologize. Explain why you're sorry. Also, say you're sorry. Kiss her and do Bloe stuff._

Beca laughed at Amy's text, replying back quickly.

 _Anything else besides apologize?_

The response she got shocked her, not realizing that Fat Amy could be so wise and romantic.

 _Yeah, remind her why you fell in love in the first place. You two may have never been official, but we all saw the toners. Remind her why you need her, and why she needs you._

Amy was right, and Beca knew it. She was still nervous as hell and had no clue how to deal with this. Did Chloe know that she was coming? Did she know it was Beca who was going to be the DJ at her gallery opening?

"Shit. I gotta get my shit together."

Beca spent the rest of the week perfecting a few new mixes, and re-mastering a few of her originals from freshman year. She had 2 USBs full for this weekend, playlists carefully lined up. She had to expect the best and the worst and she was going to make sure everything was perfect for the weekend that was going to decide what could be the rest of her life. Thursday morning Josh knocked quietly on Beca's door, but she was already awake. In fact she hadn't been to bed yet. She was trying to pack everything she may need. Her equipment was taken care of by her team but not her clothes and other necessities. Josh saw the silent scream in her eyes. He walked in and looked through the pile of clothes on her bed.

"I don't know what to pack, man." She was stressed. She ran her hands through her hair. She was already dressed for the plane. A comfortable pair of grey sweatpants, a black tank top, and a red and green plaid button down. She wasn't going to get dressed up for a five and a half hour flight, she just wanted to be comfortable. Josh started grabbing a few pairs of jeans, a white pair for the first night, a faded blue pair for Saturday and a black pair for Sunday. He grabbed a few light sweaters as it was getting chillier on the East coast. Beca remembered a comment Chloe had made the night they won the World championship. Beca was wearing her black jeans, a white shirt, and a vest. Everyone had the same outfit, but Chloe remarked that Beca's outfit fit her in all the right places. She folded it twice and threw it in the suitcase, Josh smirked.

"What? I happen to look great in that vest." He didn't argue but threw a few of her nicer shirts and blouses in. He knew fashion and he knew what she liked to wear.

"You're on your own for jewelry and bras and all that girly stuff though." He laughed. He tossed a dress in there and looked at his phone.

"You have twenty minutes before we have to leave. That's it. So hurry up." She nodded and grabbed a few of her favorite pieces of jewelry into a small makeup bag. She had enough under garments to be comfortable but just to be safe grabbed a few more. Running into the bathroom she grabbed her toothbrush and a travel sized toothpaste and floss. She rummaged through her closet to pick out a few pairs of shoes but settled on one pair of heels and her regular pair of Converse. To be safe, as she always was, she packed a pair of casual sandals as well. She didn't really know what to expect from New York so she wanted to make sure she was ready to expect everything. Her nerves were acting up as she zipped up her suitcase and brought her things downstairs. Her phone was fully charged, her wallet in her pocket, and headphones ready.

"Okay, let's do this."

They headed out of the house quickly, having enough time to stop and get coffee and bagels for the flight. They boarded with little hassle, the paparazzi hadn't been tipped off to where she was but a few fans did stop her for some autographs. As the plane took off, Beca put her headphones on and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep and stay asleep through the flight. Luckily, she didn't wake up until about 20 minutes before they were landing. She couldn't believe she was in the same state as Chloe. Her heart skipped a few beats. This was it. They had an hour and a half until the meeting with Mixer Studios, Chloe, and Beca's team. She thought about how this was going to go over. Was she really ready for this? Feeling her anxiety, Josh put his hand over hers and squeezed. He knew she could handle this, she just needed a little pick me up. Once they landed they went directly to the hotel and got changed.

Josh just wore a pair of shorts a shirt, he was going to be doing some heavy lifting and didn't want to wear any of his nicer clothes.

"What do I wear dude?" He looked her up and down and went for her suitcase right away. He pulled out a bright blue blouse and a black jacket with black slacks and her heels.

"This. It's hot, you can breathe in it, and it's business casual." She nodded and changed quickly, tousling her hair. He nodded approvingly and smiled.

"Let's go, Roger is already texting me saying he's on his way." They got in the car they rented and drove in mid-morning New York traffic. Beca watched people pass on the sidewalks and wondered how a city could be so packed. There were so many faces blurring past, but only one was on her mind.

Chloe paced back and forth as she waited for Roger to meet her at the entrance of the gallery building. She was nervous and she fumbled with the ring on her thumb. The rest of her career rested in the hands of these people. Roger pulled up in a limousine and hugged Chloe as he got out.

"Hello Chloe! It's a beautiful day. Are you excited?" He was very cheery and it calmed Chloe. She always felt better when people around her were excited and happy, it made her feel at home.

"I'm excited, definitely. I'm ready to rock this!" She exclaimed, following him up the stairs to the gallery entrance. Most of her work was already up and it looked amazing. She saw some technicians putting up speakers and wiring the place, for the DJ she supposed. She was ready to finally meet the DJ, she wanted to go over a few songs she definitely wanted to play.

"Our musician is here. I'm going to let them up." Chloe walked around and admired her own art work. She was proud of where she was and how she had gotten there. She heard Roger's thick accent and heard heels clicking against the hard wood floors. She didn't have time to turn around before she heard a gasp from behind her. Roger cleared his throat and Chloe turned, locking eyes with the very last person she thought she'd see.

"Beca!?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Please enjoy! I hope I stayed true to their characters. I've read a lot of fics where Beca is the stress-smoker but I felt like it was more appropriate to make Chloe one. Let me know what you think! :)**

Beca's breath hitched again as Chloe walked towards her slowly. Neither of them felt like this was real. No one else spoke as they watched the two girls confront each other, Chloe's hand outstretched as she got close. She cradled Beca's cheek and smiled as the brunette closed her eyes at the contact. After what felt like an eternity to them they embraced, Chloe wrapping her arms around Beca's neck and Beca kept a tight grip on her waist. She wasn't sure what to say, she was never good at being emotional. But she realized nothing needed to be said in this moment, they just needed to touch. When they parted Roger looked at them very confused, Josh just stood there smiling.

"You two know each other?" Roger asked, watching the exchange. Beca looked down and then back at Chloe who was beaming, though Beca saw her hands shaking.

"Yes, we went to Barden together. We were Bellas." Beca chuckled as memories flooded her mind. The first time they met. The first time the argued over Jesse not being a good boyfriend. The countless times Chloe had to step in to stop Aubrey and Beca from killing each other.

"Yep, the best of friends." Beca forced a cheesy smile, she didn't want to get into how much she missed the red-head. It was obvious, it had to be.

"Well then we can skip the formalities! This is wonderful, the dynamic will work even better now ladies." Roger was oblivious, but no one could blame him. There were only very few people who knew how Beca and Chloe truly felt, and no one ever really said it out loud. Roger ushered the four of them into a smaller space of the gallery where a few technicians were sitting at a fold up table. They grabbed the empty chairs and sat around, waiting for Roger to make the first move.

"Okay, so we start Friday night with the grand opening at 6. It will be general admission, but the fire marshal says we only have room for about 300 people in here all at once, so we'll have two people manning the doors. The gallery closes at 12, so we'll be ushering people out at around 11:15-11:30, giving us enough time to clean up the inevitable mess that will be lingering. You two ladies can leave as soon as the venue is empty, you're working hard enough as it is. Saturday we're going to have an early opening for the schools that are visiting. It's mostly going to be college and high school kids so there'll be no catering and everyone's ID is getting checked." As Roger continued Chloe's eyes searched for Beca's, but Beca was concentrating on listening. Chloe couldn't believe after all this time her wonderful brunette was sitting not even five feet from her. They had hugged. They were back in each other's life. Chloe wasn't letting "life" get in the way. She almost felt guilty for saying it was life in the first place. She knew the truth.

It was the day of graduation and all the Bellas were nervous and excited to start this new chapter of their lives. Chloe was finally graduating after years of staying behind for her team. For Beca. She knew when she met the young woman that she would never be able to shake her. They were dressed in their caps and gowns and taking photos when it hit her. They would be going separate ways. There would be no more Bellas rehearsals or parties to go to. No more shows or performances together. This was it, it was the end of a legacy to her. The Barden Bellas had been her life for so long now, and Beca was so- Beca was just Beca and Chloe needed her in her life. She calmed herself down as best she could as they finished taking pictures and they headed to the stadium to line up and take their seats before the ceremony began. Beca offered to drive Chloe and she accepted the offer quickly. It was just the two of them in the car, and Chloe turned on the radio.

"I'm going to miss you Becs." She finally admitted. Beca took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

"I know. I'm gonna miss you too Chlo. But this is good ya know. This is it, we're done with school. We just gotta cherish those memories and build on them. We can't change the past but we can build the future with it. We're gonna be fine. All of us."

Beca took her right hand and placed it palm up on Chloe's lap. She took it gracefully and entwined their hands together. They both felt the heat and the electricity run through them but they stayed quiet. There was a lot to be said in silence with the two girls, and it had always been that way. They reached the already packed stadium and parked as close as they could find a spot for. Luckily students got preferred parking so they weren't too far. Hopping out of the car Beca took a deep breath. They faced each other, fixing caps and hair and make-up, when Beca said it.

"I love you, Chloe. You're my best friend." And Chloe's heart stopped racing. She made eye contact with the younger girl, not really knowing how to react. Beca smiled up at her sweetly and kissed her cheek, blushing as she pulled away.

"I love you too, Beca." Chloe blurted out, pulling in for the tightest hug the two had ever shared.

Chloe was snapped out of her memory when Roger addressed her.

"How does that sound, Chloe?" All eyes were on her. Beca was staring hard, and Chloe felt a twinge of panic course through her.

"Fine. Yeah. Good."

The rest of the meeting was going over timelines and rules of the gallery, safety precautions and media rights. There were going to be two photographers there that would be walking around and documenting Friday and Saturday. Sunday would be a quiet day, as they didn't expect much traffic. They were finished around 3 in the afternoon and Roger said goodbye to them as he locked up the gallery. Chloe, Beca, and Josh stood outside just sort of looking at each other, not knowing what to do. Josh's phone rang, and he walked away to answer it.

"So, didn't know I was coming huh?" Beca asked slyly. Chloe chuckled.

"No, Mitchell. I didn't, Amy never said anything and I guess Roger really had no clue. You knew you were coming to see me though?" She asked almost hurt, thinking the brunette had purposefully ignored her.

"Not until a few days ago. Like, two days prior to coming down here. I've been fighting with myself about seeing you. It wasn't easy for me." Chloe scoffed.

"Not easy for you? At least you had time to prepare! I'm freaking out thinking the DJ he hired is gonna suck and low and behold look who the hell shows up! It was a hell of surprise, let me tell you." She felt bad for snapping, but Beca needed to realize it wasn't just about her. They were in this together, at least for the weekend.

"You look nice, by the way." Chloe threw in, crossing her arms and huffing as she tried to continue to stay upset at her.

"Thanks, you do too." They stood there in silence for another minute before Josh walked back up to the two girls.

"Well ladies, good news! You get each other's company for the afternoon, yours truly has some very important big label business to attend to." Beca raised an eyebrow, smiling out of nervousness.

"Big label business?" She questioned, now being the one to cross her arms.

"Yes, big label as in he wears a size thirty two shorts and he's all muscle." Josh laughed and kissed Beca goodbye, winking to her as he left. She knew exactly what he was doing but she couldn't bring herself to hate him. He was being a good wingman, without even being there.

"I don't live too far, if you want we can go back to my place and I can make lunch. Everything around here is really expensive." Beca thought it over for a moment and realized they were going to have to get over being awkward around each other. They were professionals, and it would be nice to catch up.

"Sure, yeah, let's do it." They walked in silence the few blocks it took to get to Chloe's studio. She wasn't lying when she said she lived close. They forego the elevator, opting for "Cardio, since it's healthy". Chloe's idea, of course.

"I…hate…stairs…" Beca breathed out as they finally reached the fourth floor, following closely behind Chloe. She unlocked the door and they walked in, Beca taking in everything she could. It smelled like Chloe, clover and nutmeg and fall, but crisp and clean like fresh linen too. There were empty paint cans scattered all around, and paint brushes lined neatly in front of a blank canvas. It looked like she was going to be starting a new piece soon.

"Well welcome to casa de Chloe! Make yourself at home, I've got some stuff to make some really nice salads, tomatoes, cheese, hard boils eggs, fresh fruit and some vinaigrette dressing. How does that sound?" Beca smiled at how quick Chloe was to be so warm and gracious, but Beca knew that was how she was. She genuinely cared for people and wanted to help. That was one of the things she loved so much about her, she was so calm and tender. Things seemed easy going here. She wasn't afraid to just sit in the kitchen with Chloe and catch up. She was more afraid of what the silence held.

"So, you're doing very well for yourself I see. Those paintings were absolutely amazing." Beca struck up a conversation about Chloe's art work, knowing that it would be an easy topic to talk about.

"Well thanks, I have a great muse." She winked and Beca's heart skipped a beat. Maybe it wasn't as easy as she thought it was going to be.

"Oh. Well then, glad I could be of assistance." Chloe turned and faced her, quick to reply.

"I never said you were my muse." Beca's face turned beet red and she averted any eye contact. _Of course I'm not her muse. You're stupid, Beca Mitchell. Shut up before you make any more stupid comments._

"Oh, right. Sorry. So, excited for tomorrow night? I hear there's gonna be great music!" _Smooth, you idiot._ She cringed after she heard her own words.

"Yeah, I'm sure the music will be great, I'm more for the art though." She flashed Beca a wide smile as she started slicing tomatoes. The lettuce was pre-washed and cut so there wasn't much to do but slice and dice the other ingredients.

"Do you need help?" Beca inquired, looking at all the vegetables on the counter.

"Nope, it'll only take me a few minutes to cut this stuff up. If you want though, you can grab the mixing bowl on the second shelf of the third cabinet. On the right of the refrigerator." The brunette walked over to the cabinet but the photo clipped to the door of the fridge caught her eye first. It was her and Chloe the night of Worlds. And there was one of her and Chloe and Aubrey after their first ICCA championship. One of the Bellas on graduation. And one of just Chloe, but Beca remembered the photo was taken by her, the night they visited the Japanese Gardens museum. Her eyes still glued to the photos, she absent mindedly opened the cabinet and stuck her hand in, searching for a plastic bowl. Finally looking over she realized it was a bit higher and sighed.

"Chloe. I, um. I need help. I can't reach that." The younger girl sighed at her inability to help. Though it wasn't really her fault she was vertically challenged, it still sucked. Chloe let out a genuine laugh and turned around quickly to grab the bowl, placing it on the counter beside the vegetables.

"Don't laugh at me, dude. It sucks being short." Despite the plea Chloe laughed, making eye contact with the girl.

"You make up for it in personality and looks. So hush you, you're perfect the way you are." They both blushed and the red head quickly turned back to chopping up more vegetables. Beca was getting excited at the sight of everything that was going in the salad. So far there were pre-sliced carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, and the bell peppers and mushrooms still had to be cut and added. Beca found her seat again and watched Chloe diligently, noticing how the woman looked just a bit older. The years had graced her with wisdom and maturity, not wrinkles and bags under her eyes.

"Why don't you get the eggs and cheese from the fridge, at least that I know you can reach." Beca feigned a laugh and searched the drawers for the other ingredients. At least Chloe was right, there was no way Beca couldn't reach the drawers that were almost at the bottom of the fridge. She pulled them into her arms and shut the doors. Passing off the eggs and cheese first, she grabbed the excess vegetables and put them in what she assumed to be the right spots. She didn't just want to sit there with her thumb up her ass. She wasn't the kind of girl to do nothing.

"Thank you for the help. Everything is done, why don't you sit at the table and I'll bring this over. Do you want a beer?" She placed the large salad bowl in front of Beca who looked at it appreciatively, she didn't realize how hungry she actually was. She nodded and Chloe walked back with two plates, two forks, and two beers.

"Hope Blue Moon is okay, it's all I have right now in the way of alcohol. Beca took a long sip and placed the beer back down, afraid she might chug it.

"Hey, it's better than Jungle Juice!" they both laughed, remembering the first time Fat Amy had made her signature drink. More than one Bella ended up on the living room floor that night.

"So, you're a big time producer now huh Becs?" The older woman took a bite of salad and reveled in its taste. Everything blended well together and she was thankful to be eating.

"I guess you could say that. I'm still nowhere near where I want to be though. There's so much more to learn and to practice. I'm getting there." Chloe scoffed at the remark, she knew exactly how amazing the girl was.

"Personally you have 2 Grammy's and 3 platinum records. Your stars have 6 Teen Choice awards combined, 3 MTV music awards combined, 2 VH1 awards, and 7 Grammy's combined. Those are all people you helped, taught, and produced. So technically, they owe all of those awards to you. You did that Becs. Not anyone else." Beca was shocked Chloe knew so much about her life. She was also guilty that she didn't always keep up with hers. The last time she had checked on Chloe she was in New Jersey living with Aubrey and Aubrey's boyfriend. She always thought Chloe would be a teacher or singer, she never thought she would be such a talented, well known artist. She was proud of her though, she had found her calling and she obviously loved doing it.

"What about you though? You're amazing too. This studio, your work. It's awesome." Chloe didn't say anything but smiled and continued eating. They finished their salads pretty quickly and Beca helped Chloe clean up. She may not have been able to reach the plates to put them away but she could wash dishes and clean off the table. They stood around in the kitchen drinking their beer in silence. Finally Chloe spoke, her voice bringing Beca to full attention very quickly.

"You've been gone for so long Beca. We, we barely even said goodbye. One minute you're here and the next- I mean I can count on two hands the number of times we've spoken since graduation, and that's over the span of three years. What happened?" Beca knew the topic was going to come up eventually. She tried to compose her thoughts. _Well, I fell in love with you but then I was way too scared to admit it or even do anything about it so I ran away and not confronting my feelings was so much easier than telling you the truth._

 _"_ Life just got in the way Chlo, I don't know what to say. You know I've been busy." Chloe put her beer down hard enough to cause Beca to jump.

"Life got in the way?! You had time for Fat Amy and her TV show and you had time to set up meetings with artists and stage performances and win awards and go to parties but let's be honest- you didn't have time for me or our friendship. I thought we had something special, Beca. I guess I was just really wrong about you." The words stung Beca, she knew she had been an ass and should have kept in touch. She wanted to keep in touch, but she was bad at being honest if it meant telling her how she really felt. She was bad at lying too, though, and the last three years had been a battle.

"Chloe, that's not it at all!" She began a rebuttal but Chloe stopped her.

"What are you going to say that's going to change this? Are you going to apologize? Don't even waste your breath." She took another sip of her beer and let the anger build inside her. She had waited for so long for this girl, why was she so blind to it?

"I was stupid Chloe, I am sorry for everything. I really am. I didn't know-" Chloe interrupted her once again, the anger bubbling over.

"You didn't know what? How much I cared for you? How I only wanted to make you happy and be by your side?" Tears formed in her eyes and she wiped them away.

"I can't have this conversation right now." She stepped away from Beca and out onto her porch. She picked up a pack of cigarettes that were on the coffee table and lit one up. Beca watched from her spot in the kitchen and was shocked when she was the cigarette sitting between Chloe's lips. She finished her beer and walked outside.

"Chloe, that's terrible for you. What about nodes?" Chloe scoffed and took another drag, ignoring the brunette. Beca made the bold move to take it out of her hand and to her surprise Chloe didn't smack her. She took a puff before putting it out and looked at Chloe longingly.

"Please, let me explain some things to you. It's important. I'll say what I need to say and then I'll go. We can finish this weekend in silence." Chloe looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear what she had to say. Beca took a deep breath and silently prayed she made it through her not-well thought out speech.

"I met you my first day at Barden. You were so sweet and even though you wanted me to join aca-hell, I knew you were genuine. Dedicated for sure, because you barged in on me in the damn shower. That was when I knew though. You aren't just another pretty face, Chloe Beale. You're THE pretty face. And talented as hell, you could've out-riffed any of those A Cappella nerds any day. You were attentive and sincere, and sexy. Chloe you changed my life so much. You were my first real best friend. All those nights we spent eating ice cream and watching movies were amazing. You made movies special for me even when so many others tried. Like Jesse wanted me to watch them because he liked them. You wanted me to watch them because you knew me and knew that I would like them. You stuck by my really awkward sexual tension with Komissar and never batted an eye when we had "the talk". You taught me that sometimes guys make great friends but not good boyfriends. I owe you my entire college experience and more. Chloe I fell for you. Hard and fast and at a terrible time, it took me so long to realize why I loved being a Bella. You were it Chloe, you always have been. You were the reason I sang so hard and wanted the Bellas to be so great, it was all for you. You were the red I saw in my dreams and the smell that brought me happiness. Your smile was the reason I smiled. Everything I did and accomplished and came to love was because you taught me how to be myself. I told you I loved you for a reason. I know I ran away, but I got so scared. I was so selfish and stupid, thinking that you didn't love me back because how could you? You're Chloe Beale and I'm just Beca Mitchell." She waited a moment to regain her breath. Chloe was silent, not even looking at her. She knew it was useless, she had wasted her time. She turned around and walked back into Chloe's living room, making sure she had everything with her. She heard the sliding glass door open but continued walking to the door. As her hand hit the knob, she heard a very small voice from behind.

"You are my muse."

The sound broke Beca's heart and put it back together again all in one swoop. She turned to see Chloe with tears running down her face and her arms crossed.

"I'm so sorry Beca, I thought you just didn't want me in your life." Beca didn't know what to say. She couldn't say anything in that moment. She closed the gap between the two of them and wrapped her arms around the red head. She hugged her tight until she felt her body go limp and the other woman's arms wrap around her. Then, she hugged tighter. She buried her face in Chloe's neck and closed her eyes, taking in the feel of soft clothes and Chloe's body. Chloe's arms were wrapped around her so tightly she thought she was going to lose circulation. Her fingers brushed her back and they shared the goosebumps in silence.


	8. Chapter 8

After everything had been said between the two women Beca hailed a cab and went back to the hotel room where Josh was waiting for her. She set her things down as she entered the room, emotionally exhausted. She wasn't used to being so open and raw with anyone, and especially not with Chloe. She had just spilled the entire contents of her heart out to her and she took it with open arms.

 _You are my muse._

The words played over and over in her head. Josh looked up at his friend, who had all but collapsed when she walked into the room.

"Rough night?" He asked, curious and worried.

"You could say that. It finally happened. I told Chloe how I felt and what she meant to me. It was draining. She cried, and it just was not what I expected. I didn't think this soon into the trip that I would be confessing my undying love for her. I kinda feel like an idiot but at the same time I know it had to be done." She sat down on the bed next to Josh and laid back, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to do anything at that point, just lay there and take in what happened. That conversation was going to change the entire dynamic of their friendship. It wasn't just Beca and Chloe anymore it was, in true Fat Amy fashion, Bloe.

"So are you two dating now?" He asked cautiously.

"Oh my god dude no! We have to like, go on dates and stuff first." She let her mind wander for a moment what being on a date with Chloe would be like. When she was dating Jesse he always paid for stuff and took her out and surprised her with things. Was that how it was going to be with Chloe? Beca would make the first moves and buy dinner and a movie and hold her hand when she got scared. Then it dawned on her that things between them didn't have to change. They could still have their friendship and it didn't matter who paid for what or who took whom out. It just mattered that they were together.

"Okay, so when are you going out? Also, should I tell Natalie to reschedule our return flights for a few days? I don't want to rip you away from your true love." He laughed, but Beca knew he meant well.

"I think right now I just need to lay here and relax. I think I'll take a nap." Josh took the hint and encouragingly squeezed her hand, getting up and walking out of the room.

Beca's mind was in a flurry. Just because she had confessed her love and they hugged didn't mean they were dating. It meant that things were open and they knew how the other felt. Actually, Chloe hadn't said anything to Beca besides the thing about being her muse. And the hug. The all-encompassing, take your breath away hug. Beca had never felt closer to Chloe in that moment. It was as if all of her struggles and worries and everything else in the world melted away. To her surprise, her phone dinged and lit up next to her. There was a new message from Chloe Beale.

 _I'm more excited than ever for the opening tomorrow. I'm glad you came over today. Thank you for being so open with me, I know it's not easy for you but Becs you know that no matter what I'm always going to be by your side._

She smiled contentedly to herself, re-reading the message and hearing Chloe's voice as she did so. She remembered the first time she and Chloe had exchanged numbers. It was at Bellas rehearsal and Aubrey was working them to the bone. Dancing had never been Beca's forte but it was easy and enjoyable for Chloe.

"I'll teach you some basic moves if you want. We can work out together!" Chloe had been all too enthusiastic about getting hot and sweaty with the brunette.

"Uh, yeah, that'd be cool. Just go easy on me." Beca said between rugged breaths. She wasn't looking forward to all the actual work that being a Bella would come with but she wanted to get to know Chloe better so she'd make any excuse. Beca had taken her phone out and was ready to punch in her number but Chloe took it from her and entered it herself, smiling slyly as she did so.

"Here, now when you find my name text me and I'll have your number. Then we can meet up and get hot." Beca turned so no one could watch her blush. It wasn't something she did often and she especially didn't blush when girls made jokes like that. She put her phone in her pocket and brushed the notion off. They went their separate ways and as soon as Beca was back in her dorm, she searched for Chloe's number. Initially she thought it would be under "Chloe" but of course the older girl had different ideas. After a few minutes of searching she found a contact that didn't look familiar.

"Sexy Redhead?" She read aloud, shaking her head while she grinned like an idiot. Of course Chloe would put it under that. She changed it to Chloe Beale and texted her so she had her number too.

 _Hey Chloe, it's Beca. So, save my number I guess._

The text back came in sooner than she thought possible.

 _Hey! Officially saved to "Sexy Brunette"! When do want to get down to business?_

It felt like everything Chloe said was an innuendo. Or maybe Beca just read into everything too much. Whatever the case, Beca didn't think she'd make it in one piece by the end of their first meeting.

Beca was awoken from her reminiscing, realizing that she had to respond to the text. But she didn't know what to say. How did she respond to that? Did she thank her? No, that would be weird. She had to go with her gut feeling, and that was too stray away from expressing her feelings.

 _Yeah, it's gonna be great._ _J_

Beca thought was too short and typed out another message, staring at it while she debated sending it.

 _I'm glad I got it off my chest I guess. I just don't like seeing you upset. It breaks my fucking heart._

She sent the message before she could change her mind. Her heart was racing, but it always did when it came to Chloe. There were some things that would never change, and that was one of them. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, the jet lag still bothering her.

A few hours later she woke up to a light knock on her door. She got up groggily and answered thinking it would be Josh. Instead, a bright eyed redhead stood in front of her.

"Beca, I've been calling you for like an hour! I wanted to know if you wanted to get dinner."

Beca rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at the beautiful girl standing in front of her. She wiped the corners of her mouth and attempted to speak.

"I didn't get, your um, calls. Sleep." She was never a morning person and as emotionally drained as she had been she was surprised she could function at all. Chloe gave her a knowing look and lightly pushed past her.

"Okay so maybe not going out dinner plans. Wanna watch a movie?" The first thing that popped into Beca's head was paparazzi. She hadn't told Chloe where she was and only Natalie and Josh knew what hotel she was staying, no one even knew she was in New York.

"How did you find me?" She asked, walking towards the window and peering out at the street below.

"I asked Roger for Josh's number and I asked Josh." Beca cursed him silently but was thankful the hounds weren't waiting for her downstairs. She turned around to see Chloe's innocent face only inches from hers.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, eyeing the window. Beca's face flushed and she stuttered.

"Pa-pa-parazzi. Making sure no one was followed here." She cleared her throat and gave the most menacing look she could muster. It was futile against Chloe.

"I was careful! No one even knows we know each other. I mean did you see Roger's face when we first hugged? It was priceless." She gave her signature Chloe smile which melted Beca down. Beca ran her hands through her thick brown hair and sighed. She tried so hard to focus.

"Uh yeah a movie is fine. We can order Chinese or something." Chloe's clear eyes lit up at the suggestion and ran to the bag she had placed on the table when she had walked in. Beca watched her carefully, trying to keep her thoughts PG.

"Okay I came prepared." _Of course you did, beautiful._

"I've got some sappy romance films including The Notebook, Titanic, The Last Song, and this one which I've never seen before called Better than Chocolate. I have one horror movie, which is The Grudge. Last but not least I have two comedies, Bubble Boy and Blubber."

 _Can I just watch you?_ "I've never seen Better than Chocolate before, or Blubber. Either of those I guess." Beca sat down on the bed and looked through the DVDs.

"Okay, let's do Better than Chocolate since neither of us have seen it, and then Blubber since it's a total classic." Beca nodded and tried not to stare at the redhead. Chloe pulled out her laptop and plugged it in, connecting to the hotel's internet and then putting in the DVD. She placed the laptop on the bed and looked at Beca, expecting her to take the next step. It took the brunette a moment to realize what she was doing.

"Oh, uh here." She stacked a few pillows at the headboard and unrolled the sheets. They could sit up or lay down to watch the movie. Chloe smirked and sat next to her, closer than Beca was comfortable with. It felt like the closer Chloe was the easier it was for her to read Beca's thoughts. Physical contact was almost painful, the chemistry between the two of them stronger than ever. The movie began to play and Beca laughed when she saw the main character was a redhead. It was obvious in the first few scenes that this movie was going to cause trouble.

 _Hey guys! Sorry for the late (and short) update, I've been on vacation with family and didn't have any access to my computer. Hope you like this chapter, it's more of a filler so be kind. Also, if you've never seen Better than Chocolate and enjoy queer movies I suggest you do so. Let me know what you think, but more than anything, enjoy! I'll update again soon, you don't want to miss the next chapter. ;)_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello lovely people! Thanks for not jumping ship, I've been super busy/sick and I appreciate every follow/favorite/review. I'm glad I'm still sticking with the story. So, not much going on in this chapter I guess, kinda a cliff hanger? Well let me know what you think. I don't own anything, as if it needed to be said. :)**_

Neither of them were virgins, but the scenes in this movie were making them both squirm. Beca had thought about turning it off more than once, but it seemed like both girls were really into it.

"So when you bought this did you know what it was?" Beca asked quietly, eyes glued to the screen. Chloe turned to look at the brunette, whose face was dimly lit by the computer.

"No, it was just a DVD in a sleeve, I bought it at a garage sale. You always find treasures at garage sales." Beca laughed, remembering the first time Chloe had dragged her to a garage sale. She was lucky that day though, it's where she bought her favorite jacket.

"Hmm, well it's definitely interesting." She couldn't move her eyes from the movie. She was practically mesmerized by the way the two women moved together. It was just a movie but it felt so real, like Beca could see herself with the redhead. Or, the redhead right next to her. She became instantly uncomfortable about that thought, though it did intrigue her. She couldn't stop shifting, causing the laptop to move from time to time. Chloe eyed her suspiciously, wondering if she had to use the bathroom or if she just couldn't get comfortable.

"Are you okay?" she slipped two fingers under her chin so that they were face to face. Beca gulped and her face turned red. She stammered and tried to look away nonchalantly but Chloe was holding her gaze. Those piercing blue eyes did her in and she sighed.

"I just, the movie is a little intense. I mean after what we talked about earlier and stuff." Chloe smiled sweetly and caressed her face. Beca's eyes drifted from the blue ones in front of her to the pink lips that were just inches away. She thought about what it would be like to kiss Chloe again. They'd done it in the past, so why not now? After everything was said and done, maybe a kiss would be the easiest thing for them to do. Beca leaned further in, making it apparent she was going for a kiss. Chloe desperately wanted to feel her lips against hers but she knew it wasn't the right time. Chloe was still hurting and while she was on the road to healing, and very happy Beca was back in her life, it was just too soon.

"Becs, not yet." Chloe pulled away softly and Beca nodded, understanding her hesitation. She felt her cheeks blush and she was flustered, but she didn't want to ruin her second chance. If Chloe wanted to dance all day and sing all night and paint in between for three weeks straight before she kissed her, Beca would understand. Chloe's hand fell on the brunette's and she entwined their fingers. Hand holding was innocent enough, and they both desperately wanted the contact. They finished the movie in silence and as the credits rolled Chloe began packing up her stuff.

"I didn't realize how exhausted I was." She absent mindedly said as she unplugged the laptop and put everything in her bag. Beca watched her pack, enjoying the way her body moved and her hair cascaded over her face. Chloe was the most beautiful woman that Beca had ever seen, just seeing her standing there made her breath shallow. The first time they met Beca tried so hard to keep her bad ass image up, but Chloe always knew how to break her walls down. They spent restless nights cuddled in bed watching movies or talking about their lives. Chloe was the only person Beca had ever let in her bubble. She was the only person she ever trusted or really ever loved, besides her parents of course.

"Yeah, we both need our rest for tomorrow. It's gonna be a big deal." Beca said slowly, gauging the redhead's response.

"You're absolutely right, Beca. I expect you to be there bright and early to help finish setting up." She gave her a sweet smile and hugged her tightly.

"See you tomorrow, I can't wait to work with you again." Chloe whispered in her ear before sliding out of the hug and walking out the front door. She always thought that watching Chloe leave was painful, but tonight left a lightness in her heart she hadn't felt in a long time. Chloe Beale was back in her life, her redhead was back and Beca was happier than ever. She flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes.

 _"Beca please, I need you. Touch me." Beca knew it was Chloe but she couldn't see her face, just bright red waves of hair. She felt her straddled her thighs and her hands traveled up her torso. Beca moaned at the contact._

 _"How do you want me?" She asked, her voice deeper than normal. Chloe's mouth landed on the brunette's neck, she kissed and sucked hard._

 _"I want you to make love to me."_

A loud bang on her door startled her awake and she threw the covers off of her.

"What the fuck!" She growled as she opened the door, still in her clothes from last night. Josh stood on the other side and looked her over.

"You look rough." She rolled her eyes.

"Thank you Captain Obvious. What are you doing here? Isn't it early?" She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"No Beca! It's 2 in the afternoon. You slept really fucking late, genius."

They had to be at the gallery in two hours. That meant she had two hours to eat, get ready, and get there.

"Shit! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" She said, running to the dresser. Josh came inside and picked up her phone that was sitting on the bedside table.

"Oh look, four missed calls from Josh. Three texts. Oh and a bonus 2 missed calls from Chloe and 7 texts from her!" She whipped around and grabbed the phone out of his hands.

 _Good morning sleepy head!_ 9:03 AM

 _Hey, are you up Bec?_ 10:45 AM

 _Beca don't you dare still be sleeping, it's almost 12!_ 11:52 AM

 _Oh my god you're still sleeping aren't you? You're incorrigible Beca Mitchell._ 12:38 PM

 _I literally finished a painting and took a shower and got ready and you're still sleeping._ 12:50 PM

 _Okay now I'm getting worried, are you okay Beca?_ 1:15 PM

 _Beca, just call me when you get this_. 1:29 PM

"Oh shit. I'm in so much trouble." Her hand ran through her hair nervously as she called Chloe.

"Oh my god Beca you're alive! I was getting ready to call the police!" Chloe's voice filled the younger woman with warmth. It was good to hear her voice, even if she was in trouble.

"Hey Chlo. I'm so sorry, I was really tired. Josh just woke me up, I'm getting ready now." She was multi-tasking as she pulled out some clothes and ran to the closet, finding the blouse she wanted to wear.

"Okay, I'll see you soon, Ms. DJ." She hung up the phone and Beca rushed around the room, getting her outfit ready, almost forgetting that Josh was sitting on the bed.

"I'm ready and half the team is already at the gallery. What are you in the mood for?

 _A nice helping of Chloe Beale._ She thought about it for a moment but settled for Panera, they had passed one on their way to the gallery last night and she had been craving it since.

"Panera is fine. Broccoli cheddar soup bowl, please." She smiled sweetly at Josh who shook his head and left the room, not before reminding her they were on a tight schedule. She stripped and jumped in the shower, letting the hot water roll over her body. Ever since her freshman year she always thought that the familiar voice would fill her shower again, but to her dismay there were no more shower intrusions. She quickly washed her hair and got out, drying off and wrapping her hair in the towel. She got dressed fairly quickly, knowing her makeup and hair would take a little longer. Her blue jeans fit her tight where it counted but were loose enough to eat a nice meal and not feel like they would pop off. She went with her low-cut white shirt and leather jacket. If she was gonna be in charge of the music you bet she would look the part.

After blow drying and tousling her hair she made sure her smoky eye look was perfect and brushed her teeth while she grabbed her heels. Running back to the bathroom she spit and rinsed, doing a last look ever. After approving the way she looked, she grabbed her phone and wallet and made her way out of the door, walking across the hall to Josh's room. She knocked softly and he opened it almost immediately.

"Ready to go?" She asked, looking at his suit.

"Shut up, it makes me look good for any potential…whatever I don't have to explain myself to you!" they laughed and walked to the elevator, trying to rush out of the hotel. Her taxi was already waiting for them and they asked him to stop at the Panera. It was only a few blocks from the gallery so they just paid the cab fare and ran inside to pick up their food. A young girl, maybe 7 or 8, recognized Beca and squealed.

"Mommy! Look, Beca Mitchell is here!" Beca turned and smiled warmly at the little girl and her mother. She gave a wave and realized the girl's outburst had caused quite the stir. People were getting their cameras out and started taking pictures. Luckily their food was done and all they had to do was pay, but she slipped Josh her wallet and ran outside, needing some air. She loved doing what she did but sometimes being famous was too much to handle. Josh wasn't far behind with the food and they walked the rest of the way to the gallery, enjoying the crisp air.

"It's never like this back West." She casually mentioned. Beca had always been fond of the colder weather, but being in LA had helped her career sky rocket so going anywhere else wasn't really an option. It took them 10 minutes to finally reach the gallery, only a few minutes late. Roger greeted them and hugged Beca fondly.

"There she is! The music maker!" She laughed at the nickname but immediately searched for those familiar blue eyes. That was what she focused on and was the most excited for. Chloe rounded the corner and Beca's eyes dropped to the length of Chloe's blue dress. She looked sexy, and Beca had to do all she could so she didn't drool.

"Beca, it's so good to see you again." Chloe's voice was smooth and inviting, Beca wanted to wrap her arms around her waist, dip her and kiss her passionately. But she couldn't, and it killed her.

"It's nice to see you too, Chloe. Are you excited?" They exchanged knowing looks and giggled.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to set up the playlist for the night, I'm hoping I won't disappoint." Beca winked and Josh showed her where her booth was. Chloe could feel her heart rate spike when Beca winked at her, the brunette always had the power to make Chloe weak. It was just in her nature to do so.

Beca looked around at the paintings that filled the walls, they all looked familiar somehow. She had never seen any of Chloe's work before and had the sudden need to inspect it all. She hopped down from her booth and walked up to the piece entitled "Lusty Morning". A young woman with brown hair sat looking out of a window. She was nude but you could only see her back. Chloe's paintings were life like, every detail prominent. Her voice interrupted Beca's thought process.

"Like what you see?" _There she goes again with those damn innuendos,_ Beca thought to herself.

"Yes, you're so talented Chlo." Beca practically whispered, feeling too small and insignificant at the moment. A third voice interrupted them, causing them to turn in excitement and fear.

"You would have known how talented she was if you had been around. But hey, look what the cat dragged in! Finally." Aubrey's voice was playful but Beca knew the Blonde was not happy with her.

"Aubrey!" Chloe practically screamed, rushing up to her in a tight hug. Beca stood behind watching the two interact, remembering the first time they had all met. Not much had changed, but then again, everything was different.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello, hello! Hope you all like the chapter, juicy stuff happening. Also, drugs ahead so be warned. Enjoy darlings!**_

"Hey Posen, it's nice to see you." Beca walked to the taller blonde and hugged her loosely. They'd been through a lot together, and even though Aubrey wasn't the biggest fan of Beca's style or attitude, she knew the brunette had a good heart. Misguided sometimes, but good.

"Beca Mitchell. I can't believe you are really here. I'm surprised." Chloe could sense the sincerity in her voice and hoped that Beca would too.

"Well you know me, full of surprises." Chloe watched the banter with happiness pouring from her. It had been so long since they were all together and since everything had felt so in balance. Beca was here and they could start over, Aubrey was there so they could catch up and go shopping together and finally get Aubrey out and about in the city. Everything felt so very right.

"I hate to break up the love fest ladies, but this little DJ needs to finish setting up." Josh hastily interrupted the group of girls, slipping his hand around Beca's wrist.

"Oh, right!" Beca exclaimed. She had almost forgotten that she was there to work. She left her beloved redhead and Aubrey and went to her booth. The two girls stood away from the entrance so that the other people helping could walk freely in and out.

"You look great, Chlo." Aubrey said, looking her up and down. Chloe smiled as she took in her friend's appearance. She looked tired, but who wouldn't be as the co-founder of a non-profit organization for kids whose parent (or parents, in some cases) were killed or injured in combat. Coming from an Army family Aubrey knew all too well what the battlefield could hold, and as a child she knew she never wanted anyone to go through that. Luckily her father had come home every time he left. But he came home missing a piece of himself each time. She had known people very close to her who were affected by loss and it affected her too. She just wanted to help in any way she could. After leaving the Bellas she knew the impact they all had on her had changed her. She was still uptight, but she wasn't so scared of failure anymore. She knew that there was a reason for everything and that sometimes you fail so you can succeed.

"You look like you've been working too hard." She responded, meaning that this weekend was for relaxing and not starting quipping fights with Beca. Or work. Beca would be the only one actually working but she loved doing what she did. Chloe was so thankful for that.

"Yeah well someone's got to help them. Anyway, let's take a look around and see what we've got going on." Chloe giggled, taking her friend's arm in hers.

"Oh there's plenty going on." She winked, earning an eye roll from the blonde. They walked past Beca who gave the two an approving look as she continued to connect wires and flip switches. Chloe thinks for a moment how difficult it must be to memorize how to do all of that, but her attention is quickly brought back to the blonde on her arm.

"Chloe these are absolutely stunning. Skype does no justice." Aubrey breathes out, obviously taken aback by one of Chloe's earlier pieces, entitled "Worry." The piece was simple enough. It was two people sitting across from each other holding hands at a table. It wasn't just about holding hands though, you could see the way the one on the left encompassed the hands on the right making it look like a comforting position. There were no faces to look at, the painting stopped at the shoulders. It still took Aubrey's breath away, as if seeing this changed her life.

"Funny enough you pick this one. Remember when I first told you I liked women. I was so scared you were going to hate me. We were at the diner near our old hang out spot. You told me 'Chloe, there's no reason I would ever stop loving you. It's totally aca-fine you like girls, just don't let it get in the way of being a Bella. Alice would have us both for breakfast.'" Chloe did her best impersonation of the blonde, which made them both laugh.

"I didn't know you had any about me. I thought they were mostly about-well you know." Aubrey glanced at Beca who was in her own little world.

"Let's go look at some other pieces before I have to leave you for the night." Chloe dragged her to another closed off section, it wasn't put together yet and people weren't supposed to be back there but of course Chloe needed her privacy.

"Look Brey, I haven't told Beca that the paintings are loosely based on her." Aubrey looked at Chloe incredulously.

"Are you serious? She hasn't put two and two together? I mean Chloe you literally painted her tattoos. There's absolutely no way that this set is about anyone else." She knew how silly it sounded, but having Beca a little oblivious to it was nice. She didn't want the pressure on her to make sure that every detail was perfect and that everyone understood it was Beca. Chloe made these because that's what came naturally to her, Beca. She worked from memory and pictures and what she felt in her heart, Beca wasn't her model or subject, Beca was her muse.

"It doesn't really matter. If she figures it out, that's fine. If she doesn't, that's better." Chloe whispered, now afraid someone would hear them. Aubrey let out a sigh, knowing there was no reason to argue with the redhead.

"Let's just go and look at these other pieces, shall we. I want the VIP tour before anyone gets here." They giggled again and went on their way, Chloe sharing her most private thoughts about the paintings with her friend listening intently. Even though Aubrey could be a bit intense, she was just as passionate about things as Chloe was. She understood the need to express yourself and the importance of being totally honest with your work. She knew that's how Beca had found her way to the Bellas. It wasn't necessarily her dad or even Chloe, though she had a sneaking suspicion redhead had a lot to do with it, Beca loved music and loved to express herself and only the Bellas could give that to her back then. Now it was music out in the real world, being a DJ and a producer. Chloe was an amazing artist and she knew how to express herself because she was true to herself. Being a Bella had done them all good, and they had all flourished in the real world.

Time fast forwarded with no warning. People began to trickle into the gallery, enjoying the warm feeling that exuded from everywhere. People were schmoozing and sipping wine from small plastic cups. Everyone wanted a piece of Chloe's attention, they wanted to know who the brunette was and where she got the ideas for her paintings. They all just wanted too much from her, and she had to escape for a little. Rushing to the bathroom she ran into Beca, who was repeating her mantra to herself in the mirror. Once she realized she wasn't alone, she stopped and looked at the beautiful woman behind her.

"Hi there." She said, splashing a bit of water on her face.

"I taught you that." Chloe replied, awe-struck. Beca laughed and dried her face with a paper towel.

"Now you know my deep dark secret Beale, every day since sophomore year. I was running late today and didn't have time before I got here." Chloe looked at her and wanted to wrap her arms around her and never let go. She wanted to breathe in all of Beca. She wanted to go back to her place and make the brunette curl up to her so she could hold her while she slept. She craved the intimacy and closeness. She needed the girl more than she ever thought was possible. But she choked it down; Beca was still a flight risk. The end of this weekend would prove if Beca was serious about this entire thing. Chloe went to say something but something in the way Beca looked at her made her stop breathing for a moment. She realized that if Beca was really a flight risk, she would have already been gone. She would have stopped the contract if she wanted to when she learned who she was working with. She could have said no. But she hadn't, she had made the choice to see her and to work with her. The very moment they were sharing was proof enough for Chloe that Beca was really serious. So Chloe did what she did best- she broke down Beca's walls. Before Beca knew what hit her, Chloe wrapped her arms lovingly around the younger woman. She thought she might burst into flames her skin was so hot. Chloe's nimble fingers worked their way in Beca's hair and she held on even harder. Beca couldn't speak, she didn't want to. She knew the silence was a good thing again, something she didn't need to fear anymore. Reluctantly they broke apart, Beca fixing her hair to hide her blushing cheeks and Chloe smiling harder than she had in a while.

"I'm so glad you're here, Beca Mitchell." She said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah you too, weirdo." Beca had to make her laugh, it was her job. They left the bathroom and Chloe went back into the general public. Beca went back to the booth and began her transition to the lyrical portion of the night. A smooth fade worked effortlessly into Bruno Mars' _Just the way you are_ and Chloe beamed. She remembered the first time she sang this song. It was when Aubrey had finally let Beca try some of her mixes with the Bellas. They had an amazing sound and it united them to no end. It was the beginning point of Aubrey and Beca's friendship, and the first time Chloe sang to Beca, not just with her.

They had escaped to Beca's dorm after Bellas practice that night, Chloe had picked out a movie and Beca of course said she would watch it with her. They had curled into Beca's too small bed and Chloe had decided that it felt like a horror movie kinda night, so they watched American Werewolf in London. But Beca didn't pay attention, she was too engrossed in Chloe's hair and the way she smelled like apples and fresh laundry.

"Sing it again for me?" she asked, interrupting the movie. Chloe smiled.

"Which one?"

"Sing Bruno again, I want to hear the way you sing it. I think I might move your part." Beca lied. She couldn't say it was because she loved Chloe's voice and it was her favorite sound. Chloe obliged, it didn't matter why Beca wanted to her hear sing, she would do anything for her. She started the song in her head and began slowly.

 _Oh, her eyes, her eyes  
make the stars look like they're not shinin'  
her hair, her hair  
Falls perfectly without her trying  
she's so beautiful  
And I tell her everyday  
Yeah_

Beca's body relaxed at the sound of Chloe's melodic voice. It really was her favorite sound in the entire world. The only sound that relaxed her these days.

 _I know, I know  
When I compliment her she won't believe me  
And it's so, it's so  
Sad to think that she don't see what I see  
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"  
I say,_

Beca closed her eyes and leaned further into her wonderful redhead. Everything was good in that moment, even if the World came crashing down as long as she was by her side it would be fine. Chloe lowered her voice almost to a whisper, what was happening was only for their ears.

 _When I see your face  
there's not a thing that I would change  
Because you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile  
The whole world stops and stares for a while  
Cause, girl, you're amazing  
Just the way you are_

Chloe stopped the song as she whispered the rest of it to Beca as close as possible. She was happy that Beca had asked her to sing. She had always wanted to sing to her.

Aubrey's voice broke her memory as the taller girl walked up to her.

"Hey you." Chloe gave her 100 watt smile to her best friend and watched Beca work. It was magical.

"She's really good." Aubrey commented. It was the first time either of them had heard her live. Of course both of them had heard her records, and the songs she had co-written or even produced. How could they not? They were both so proud of her. They stood there for a minute enjoying the music until a man in a brown coat walked up to Chloe.

"Hi there, are you the artist?" She smiled to the man and stuck her hand out to shake his.

"The one and only Chloe Beale." He shook her hand and looked at her longingly.

"I love your work. I want to buy one of your pieces. Specifically 'Lusty Morning'. It speaks to me." Chloe's smile faded, that was her favorite one. It was what she saw when she and Beca sang together for the first time. When she was naked in the shower, Beca hiding her body as much as she could. It was the first time she had seen her tattoos. It was a defining moment in their relationship.

"I'm sorry," she refused. "It's not for sale." He looked behind her at the piece.

"That's too bad. It's a lovely piece. Anyway, enjoy your evening. You deserve it." And with that he walked away, assuming that was the end of the evening. Aubrey and Chloe shared confused looks. Chloe shrugged it off and continued to watch Beca, listening as a mix of Love Me Like You Do and Style started to play. They flowed effortlessly together the way that Beca had intended them to. She was really good at what she did, and her music showed it. The music had attracted quite the audience as it was playing outside as well, wireless speakers carrying the tunes to the street. Roger and Josh worked hand in hand to turn away the rest of the crowd trying to get in. In fact, they needed people to start leaving. It seemed that through the party and the wine and schmoozing, everyone had lost track of time. It was late and the rest of the people in the gallery needed to leave. Beca grabbed the mic off of the booth and spoke quietly.

"Hey folks thanks for coming out tonight. I hope you all enjoyed the art and the company. Congrats to the wonderful Chloe Beale on this awesome achievement. Alright, well, get home safe."

Chloe beamed at her little DJ. She watched as everyone finally made their way out, Aubrey promising that she would meet Chloe for lunch tomorrow. Beca hopped down and ran her hands through her hair as she walked up to Chloe. Roger turned the corner and before anyone could say anything he swept them both up into a bear hug. The girls laughed as he thanked them for being the coolest humans he knew, and then left with his assistant. Chloe and Beca walked out of the building, Josh close behind.

"Josh if you don't mind I would like to steal our lovely brunette for the night." Chloe pleaded, giving him the puppy dog eyes. Beca knew her tricks and she knew he wouldn't stand a chance. Chloe Beale could solve world hunger and bring peace to the world with that look. Josh glanced at Beca before smiling slyly.

"Why of course fearless leader. Go celebrate, you both deserve it." Chloe squealed as she grabbed Beca's arm and they began their way back to Chloe's place again. As they walked, Chloe kept close to Beca, stealing her warmth. That was one of Chloe's favorite thing about Beca, no matter what they were doing or where they were, she was always so warm.

"I have a surprise for you." She whispers, as they take the elevator to Chloe's floor.

"Oh Chlo you know I hate surprises." Beca whines, knowing that Chloe probably did something grand or overwhelming. She grits her teeth but as they open the door no one pops out. No one else was there, there's no presents sitting and waiting, there's just Chloe's studio in all its dark silence. Beca was very confused.

"It's really not that bad. But you and I haven't had any real fun since the world competition. So, I figured this is a pretty great time to do so." She turns on the lights and walks to her room as she explains, and walks back with a sandwich bag and a small pipe.

"You want to smoke?" Beca asks, surprised.

"Yeah, don't tell me you stopped smoking!" Chloe looked at her questionably.

"I just smoked a bowl with Fat Amy, are you kidding me? You know I always like a nice relaxed evening at home."

They laughed together as they sat on the couch, Chloe packing the bowl while they got comfortable. Chloe sat on her knees, facing Beca as she sat back comfortable, crossing her left leg over her right. Chloe took the first hit, pulling in lightly as her lungs filled with smoke. When she couldn't take any more in, she blew it out of her nose. It was a move she liked to call crouching tiger; high dragon. Beca laughed at the nickname. She took the bowl from the redhead and took a large hit, choking it down. She was still a lightweight even though she had smoked many times over the years.

"Fuck." She breathed out heavily, her lungs burning.

"That stuff isn't bad."

"Of course it isn't. Chloe Beale doesn't get bad shit." She winked at the brunette as they continued to share the bowl, passing it back and forth. It didn't take long for the two to get high, the room smelling like weed. Chloe stood up and attempted to light candles, laughing too hard at something to actually get it done. Beca stood and tried to help her, placing her hand on Chloe's waist as she leaned over her and lit the candle for her. The girls stared at the flame for a moment, and then went and raided Chloe's kitchen. The only thing that sounded good to them in that second was a big bowl of ice cream. So they pulled out the bowls and spoons and three types of ice cream and placed it in front of them. Slowly they made their bowls of ice cream, mixing flavors as they went. Beca was having a particularly hard time getting the ice cream off the scoop without using her tongue.

"Hey. Red. Help me." Beca had gone almost cross eyed as she stared at the scoop. The older woman doubled over in laughter looking at her friend.

"You are so cute. You really are. Like really really cute." She took the scoop from Beca and put it in the sink. She hopped on the counter and ate her ice cream as she watched Beca devour the ice cream.

"You think I'm cute because you have to. It's your job" Chloe put her bowl down and gave Beca a disapproving look.

"No, I think you're cute because you are Beca Mitchell. You're beautiful. I totally mean it." Beca knew she was serious. Chloe didn't joke about things like that, it wasn't in her nature to do so. She put her bowl down and took Chloe's hand, sliding her off of the counter and into a hug.

"I love the way you feel." Beca sighed, she knew this was one of the very few times she could say what she wanted to and not feel crazy for it. Chloe didn't respond, but her body did. She drew Beca further into her, burying her face in the brunette's neck.

"I missed you so much Beca. I'm so glad you're here." They were both happy to be there. Beca was exactly where she needed to be. She stood back and looked at Chloe intently. She studied her face, her crystal blue eyes a bit red from the smoke. She was still as beautiful as ever, and Beca couldn't help but reach out and play with her red waves of hair. Chloe leaned into her touch and her skin was on fire again. She couldn't contain her need any longer, and she pushed Beca back into the counter and kissed her hard. Beca moaned at the contact, sparks flew and the planets all aligned. This was the kiss they had both wanted and needed for so long. This was the kiss they dreamt about. But then Chloe took a finger full of ice cream and rolled it down Beca's face, eliciting a scream from the girl. The night ended in a chocolatey mess, the girls falling asleep in the living room, legs tangled together gracefully.


	11. Chapter 11

_**I'm so glad you all don't hate me for my shitty absence. I hope this kinda makes up for it. The next chapter will be mostly Aubrey and Chloe. Also, yay to Bechloe for their win at TCA's! Let me know what you all think. :)**_

The morning after their chocolate escapades Beca woke up with a snoring Chloe on top of her. There was no way that she could move without waking her so for a moment she was extremely still and stayed as quiet as she could be. Chloe's face was relaxed and her breathing was normal, Beca took in the sight and smiled. Even when she wasn't trying, Chloe Beale was the most beautiful person Beca had ever known. She moved her hair out of her face so she could take a better look at her. Unfortunately the movement made Chloe wake up, her eyes fluttering open.

"What time is it?" Her voice was raspy and her throat dry.

"Hey sleeping beauty, I'm not sure. I just woke up too." Chloe wasn't ready to face the outside world, so instead she curled into the younger girl and sighed. She was content exactly where she was and she did not want to move.

"So, last night was fun." Chloe whispered, smiling into Beca's neck.

"Yeah. It was. I'm glad you suggested it. Do we-uh, do we have to talk about what happened though?" the younger girl searched her face for the answer but she didn't find one. Chloe's eyes were shut and she continued to smile.

"There's nothing to really talk about. We kissed. It's happened before. What we need to do is eat. Eat and then talk." Beca couldn't say anything because she had definitely felt her stomach growl just a few moments ago. Instead she reluctantly pulled away from Chloe and stood up so she could use the bathroom and freshen up.

"Um, where's the bathroom?" Beca asked jumping up and down like a child. Chloe could barely speak as she repressed a laugh.

"Down the hall to the left. It's in my room." Beca ran to Chloe's room and practically fell into the bathroom, pulling her pants down as she sat down on the toilet, finally able to relieve herself.

When she was done she washed her hands and face, cleaning up so she didn't look like a total raccoon from all her eye makeup. As she walked out of the room she saw their gradation photo next to Chloe's bed. She picked it up and ran her fingers over it, the memory was a good one.

"That was right before you told me you loved me. Back then I didn't know how you meant it but the way you said it made me happier than I ever had been." Chloe's voice was low. She came up behind Beca and put her hand on her shoulder. Beca turned, meeting those all-encompassing blue eyes. She was captured for a moment, unable to breathe or focus. She remembered saying it, she had practiced it in the mirror for days.

"I was nervous as hell to tell you. I tried to be cool." Her smile warmed Chloe's heart. She had grown so much since their Barden days. She was open and honest about her feelings, even though it still wasn't that easy for her to do so. Chloe appreciated the tenderness and honesty, cupping Beca's face before kissing her sweetly. Not wanting to end their kiss, Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe's waist, reveling in the feeling of the other woman against her body. The kiss they shared last night didn't compare to this though. Beca wrapped her hands in Chloe's dress, needing to be as close as possible right now. It didn't matter that they had spent the entire night together, she had years of making up to do. Chloe could feel the urgency between them, needing Beca as much as it seemed Beca needed her. The heat between them was getting to be too much, and Chloe broke the kiss. Her face was red and Beca's eyes were full of lust. The moment was officially over though, when Beca's stomach growled loud enough for someone next door to hear. She turned a deeper shade of red.

"Come on, let's get some different clothes on and grab a bite to eat." Chloe offered, walking to her closet. Beca obliged, following on her heels.

"Nothing fancy. I have to go back to the hotel and let Josh know I'm not dead." Chloe laughed so hard she snorted.

"Trust me Becs- he didn't expect you to come back last night. In fact, I bet you five dollars he's gonna ask you if I'm a good lay or not." Beca stared at her, mouth hanging open wide.

"No way. He won't ask me that. He knows I want to take things slow." She stopped before she went any further. Chloe eyed her, but she looked at the younger girl with love.

"How about a pair of sweats and a t-shirt? I know how much you love wearing my clothes."

Beca rolled her eyes at the memory. It was one time, and it was an accident. Beca had spent the night with Chloe and Aubrey when Aubrey dragged them to a small town outside of Atlanta. She said she needed her best friend there when she was going to meet her possible soul mate and Chloe agreed on the condition that Beca was able to come with. Of course after a few minutes of arguing Aubrey agreed, only because fighting with the redhead was like talking to a brick wall-only of them would be budging. It turned out that the guy was a total sleaze ball and Beca had punched him in the face for being disrespectful to Chloe and Aubrey and told him he didn't deserve a great person like Aubrey. So, in thanks, Aubrey bought the girls drinks and things got wild. A drunk Beca couldn't find her bag in the dark and accidentally grabbed Chloe's clothes, slipping them on and passing out on a couch. The photos that followed were hidden after Beca woke up, and Chloe never told her that she still had a few copies.

"I um, I'm just gonna change in here." Beca gracefully took the clothes and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. As she changed she could hear Chloe humming Titanium and smiled to herself. The older girl never ceased to amaze her. She couldn't help but sing a long, remembering the first time they met.

 _You shoot me down_

 _But I won't fall_

 _I am Titanium_

The girl's voices flowed together perfectly. Beca cracked the door open and peeked up at Chloe, who was facing her dresser drawers in just jeans and a bra. Beca's body got warm at the sight of the other woman, even if she had seen her naked before. She walked up silently behind Chloe and tickled her sides, jumping out of the way for the inevitable flailing of arms that was to follow.

"Jesus Bec!" Beca let out a hearty laugh and just smiled at the redhead.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." The girls shared a look before Chloe threw on a t-shirt and a pair of sunglasses.

"Let's do this."

The two left Chloe's studio in silence, opting to take Chloe's car since she had a lunch date with Aubrey, and pulled up to a very fancy Starbucks a few blocks from Beca's hotel. When they got out a few people on the sidewalk gave them funny looks and Chloe wondered if she looked okay. Chloe got to the door first and opened it for Beca, saluting as she did so. Beca took her place in line, Chloe close behind.

"I'm gonna get a Mocha Frappe. What about you?" The taller woman leaned over and placed her chin on the shorter one's shoulder, her lips awfully close to Beca's face. She got warm again and had some trouble speaking. Before she could answer, a bright flash blinded them.

"Beca! Beca who is this? Beca is this your girlfriend?" The paparazzi had gotten the better of them. This was the part Beca hated the most. The hounds. Startled, Chloe pulled back, moving her face so it was further from Beca.

"Dude seriously? I just want some damn coffee!" But there was another one who had followed in his co-worker's footsteps, shoving a camera in her face.

"Who's the redhead Beca? Is she your new girl-toy?" Beca was infuriated at the suggestion, and without thinking grabbed a passerby's coffee cake and shoved it in the guy's face. Chloe erupted in laughter and gave a little yelp when Beca pulled her shirt in an effort to get her to follow her out of the coffee shop.

"Holy shit! Does that happen often?" Chloe exclaimed, getting in the car and buckling up.

"Sometimes. That's the second time since I've been here. Luckily you have your sunglasses on so it'll be harder to recognize you, you should be fine." The redhead looked at Beca trustingly, knowing she wouldn't let her get hurt. They drove off down to the hotel and had Chloe's car put in VIP, hoping no one had followed them. They knocked on Josh's door and a sandy-haired half naked young man opened, looking surprised. He stuttered before Beca pushed him out of the way, Chloe giving him a sympathetic look.

"Josh! Josh we were just assaulted by paps!" Josh ran out of the shower in just a towel, his face bewildered.

"What?"

"What Beca means to say is some cameramen got a little excited and kinda got up in our, well, grill."

The sandy-haired boy looked at Beca again, wanting the full details of the encounter.

"I shoved a muffin in his face."

"Coffee cake actually." Chloe corrected, smiling at Beca.

"You did what? Oh my god Bec you know how that's going to look! And you, get your clothes and go." He pointed to the boy and motioned for the door. He did as he was told and left without a word. Josh pulled on a shirt and ran to the bathroom to put on a pair of basketball shorts.

"Did they get her name or anything?" Beca shook her head.

"Okay, we should be fine. Let's hope you didn't hurt the guy, but I'll keep an eye on the tabloids."

She just nodded her head and led Chloe to her room, pulling out the coffee maker stashed in the corner and setting it up.

"I didn't meant to ruin our coffee date." Beca said quietly. She was embarrassed and just wanted to dig a hole and sleep there forever.

"You didn't Becs- that was more fun than I've had since the last time we hung out actually." Her words calmed the small brunette and she let her shoulders relax.

"Do you have enough time for a cup of coffee? It's 11:43." Beca poured a cup and handed it to her anyway, not giving her much of an option.

They sat talked for half an hour before Chloe realized she had to meet Aubrey for lunch and had less than twenty minutes to get there. She rushed out of Beca's hotel room, but not before placing a kiss on her cheek and leaving her with a smile on her face and inspiration for a new mix begging to be made.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hi everyone! Happy weekend! Hope you're enjoying yourselves. So, chapter 12! There's going to be a little drama ahead but I promise the next chapter will have fluff. I don't think there will be more than just a few more chapters after this, but we'll see. Let me know what you think, I'm always open to suggestions and thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed and followed and favorited the story, it means so much to me that you even read it. Okay enough rambling, enjoy!**_

Of course Aubrey was already at the café that they had planned to meet at. Chloe, on the other hand, was one minute and 37 seconds late, according to Aubrey's watch.

"I'm so sorry Bree, I had a late start to my morning." Aubrey, who at any other time would have lectured Chloe on the importance of time management and punctuality, just smiled at her dear friend and motioned for her to sit.

"So, how was the rest of your night?" Chloe blushed immediately. Aubrey had a glint in her eye, she knew her best friend had been up to something.

"Details, spill them. Now." Chloe averted her gaze even though she knew it was futile to do so. After a moment of stalling she gave in, honestly happy to tell her friend about everything that had happened.

"It was great Bree, after the show we went back to my place and well we, we smoked-" that earned a glare from the blonde, she had never been keen on Chloe's extra-curricular activities but it was her life and she was an adult who could make her own decisions.

"And we laughed and listened to music and we ate huge bowls of ice cream and Bree I swear, there was this moment when I looked at Beca and I could really see her. Like our Barden days, but like grown up Beca now. She's so beautiful and smart and even though she'll never admit it we all know how soft she is. I saw it in her eyes and I couldn't help myself, I kissed her." Aubrey's eyebrows rose in surprise for dramatic affect. She had seen it coming from a mile away.

"And then?" The waiter walked up to them then and took their orders, delaying the story for a minute. As soon as he left Chloe hunched over the table so she could talk quieter.

"She stayed the night." This did shock Aubrey, but she let the redhead continue.

"Nothing happened Bree, but I woke up and I was in her arms and I swear it was the best feeling in the world. Have you ever heard Beca's 'I just woke up' voice? It's insanely cute! And the way her finger tips trail across my shoulder when she thinks I'm asleep. She's so cute." Chloe could go on for hours, but she wanted to hear about her friend's life too.

"Enough about me, tell me what's up in the life of the aca-awesome Aubrey Posen?" Chloe and her 100 watt smile made everything she said magical.

"I'm glad you and Beca are working things out. That makes me happy. I never thought I'd grow to love the gremlin but I'm proud of her and I just want the best for you both. But in other news…nothing. The program is going well, the kids are really open and attentive. We got a few new staff members which is great because we can raise the rate of productivity without cutting the hours the kids get with each other and the counselors. There are a few private investors looking into funding for an after school academic program. Help the kids explore other areas like science, math, engineering, and my personal favorite, music." Aubrey was the one beaming now, she had taken a small project of a few kids and turned it into a nationally recognized program. She was a busy woman and Chloe felt lucky to not only have her in her life, but to have her here with her during one of the most important weekends of her life.

"That is so flipping amazing Aubrey! I am so proud of you, I can't believe this. I want to meet the kids one day, tour the facility with you. I want to volunteer!" Aubrey was smiling too hard to really talk, she just nodded and thought about how she had the best friends in the world.

"You're not the only one who wants to help, Chlo. A lot of our dear Bellas, old and new, heard about the program because you are incessantly sharing it on social media. It's honestly brought so much positive attention that I was thinking of asking you to kinda be in charge of that. It wouldn't pay and it wouldn't like be-" Chloe cut her off before she could continue her sentence.

"Yes! Absolutely yes to anything and everything you need. You will always have my support." The two shared another smile as the waiter brought them their food. They continued their meal in relative silence as neither of them had eaten since the night before. After paying the bill the two girls left the café and walked down the street to a few boutiques that had caught their eye.

"Oh what about this one?" Chloe held up a flowy and sheer black and white striped sleeveless blouse.

"You could pull that off, but what about this!" Aubrey motioned for a pair of blue jeans that had rhinestones on the butt pockets. She wasn't serious but Chloe loved the way it sparkled.

"Are those my size? I would so wear that." Aubrey looked at her incredulously

"Oh-em-aca-gee Chloe Beale no! I wouldn't allow you!" Aubrey's voice fell on deaf ears as Chloe was transfixed on the large screen TV above her head. It was a clear shot of Beca Mitchell throwing a pastry into a paparazzi's face before running off with a mysterious red head. The news anchor (If you could even call her that) began speaking as the image of the two girls faded into the background.

"Earlier today our sources say big time producer Beca Mitchell harassed a young photographer in a Starbucks before running out of the café with a mystery redhead at her heels. The two were seen getting into an SUV or Jeep and driving off into traffic. The question is, what made Mitchell pop, and more importantly who was the girl she was with? We'll have more, later." Chloe's bright blue eyes were wide with horror. Beca had never been in the news like this. Aubrey stood next to her and grabbed the blouse from her hands and the jeans she was browsing. She ran to the register and bought the items, asking the clerk not to bag them for her. Instead, she threw them at Chloe and motioned for the bathroom.

"You're wearing the same clothes as earlier Chloe, and your sunglasses." Chloe looked horrified as she ran to the bathroom and changed. The last thing she wanted, and knew Beca would want, was the paparazzi finding her and harassing her. They didn't need a repeat of earlier. As she stepped out Aubrey grabbed her sunglasses and put them in her purse, thanking the clerk and ushering Chloe out of the store. They went straight to their cars and Aubrey followed Chloe to the hotel where Beca was at.

"Beca! BECA OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW SO HELP ME!" Aubrey's voice rang through the door and probably out the window, it caused Beca to wince. She hadn't heard the harsh military tone since college and she definitely did not miss it. She opened the door and a rush of red hair and blonde hair swooped in.

"Well hi nice to see you too!" Beca stopped when she saw the look on Chloe's face.

"What's going on?"

Aubrey swiped up on her phone and entered a code. She typed away at the screen until turning it to face Beca. The woman from the newscast they saw in the store popped up.

"Earlier today our sources say big time producer Beca Mitchell harassed a young photographer in a Starbucks before running out of the café with a mystery redhead at her heels. The two were seen getting into an SUV or Jeep and driving off into traffic. The question is, what made Mitchell pop, and more importantly who was the girl she was with? We'll have more, later."

Beca's face dropped.

"Oh shit." Chloe walked up to her and slipped her hand in Beca's giving an affirming squeeze.

"No one can tell it's me anyway, it's totally fine right Bree?" Aubrey simply scowled.

"Chloe, I can tell that's you on my phone screen from ten feet away. Beca should have known to be more careful about how she acts in public." Beca knew it was directed right at her and that she was right, but she didn't care.

"Aubrey's right, Chlo. Anyone can tell that's you. All of the Bellas would know in a heartbeat, your parents, and your friends. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that while you were with me." Chloe rubber her thumb calmly over Beca's hand.

"I don't care, it's fine. They can know we were hanging out Beca, it's not a big deal and I don't know why either of you are freaking out.

"Because it's not just fun and games Chloe, that was only two of them. Can you imagine having fifty surround you, following every move you make, flashes constantly going off? You will never have privacy if they know we're dating." Beca froze.

 _If they know we're dating._

They weren't dating though. Beca wanted to die. She wanted Zeus to strike her with lightening right then and there, but he was feeling too merciful today and so she lived with her embarrassment.

"Dating?" Chloe asked, quietly. Thankfully Aubrey had stayed silent, not wanting to disrupt whatever was about to go down.

"I, got ahead of myself. We're not- dating. We're friends, and we were just hanging out." Beca was visibly hurt and as much as Chloe wanted to scream to the heavens that she was dating Beca Mitchell (Finally), she just wasn't ready yet and Beca needed to know that.

"Becs, I care about you so much, and I love you to the ends of the universe and back. I still want to take it slow though, I don't want to rush into this and it's not because I don't want to be with you, it's because I want to do this the right way." Beca understood that, she had done some shitty things in the past and while she didn't necessarily have to make up for them, she had to allow the wounds to heal before anything else began to grow.

"I know Chlo, I know." It was all she said, but Chloe heard the unspoken truth in it. She heard the apology and the promise to treat her well. She heard the devotion and that was enough for her. She kissed her cheek and glanced at Aubrey who was doing unceremoniously well at keeping her mouth shut.

"Okay love fest over, let's deal with this head on shall we?" and as if on cue Josh knocked on the door, letting himself in with the keycard.

"Oh, hello ladies. Beca." She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.

"We have some trouble and because I know you all, kinda, I know you've seen the newscast. I suggest a formal apology. Just explain he was in your face, which we can see from how close the cameras were, and you got riled up. The redhead is a friend who wishes to not disclose her identity. End of story."

Beca wasn't satisfied with the answer though.

"They're still going to hound us, my privacy means nothing and apparently that extends to the person I'm seen with as well. I don't want people to know that she was with me when I did that. At any other time sure, but her privacy is important to me, Josh." They sat around while they thought about it.

"We could say it was Lindsey Lohan?" Aubrey suggested. Chloe gagged, she was never a fan of the star and there was no way Lindsey would let them use her as an excuse.

"Why don't we use Fat Amy? I'll do the interview on her show first, and explain that Chloe's privacy is important and issue the apology there." Everyone stopped and looked at Beca as if she had solved world hunger.

"That's actually a brilliant plan." Aubrey rarely complimented Beca in person, so she swelled with pride at the blonde's words.

"It could work, we just have to play our cards right. I'll go call Amy now. You three just sit tight and we'll deal with this." The girls stayed put as Josh made the call, Aubrey was playing on her phone and Beca was sitting on the arm of the pull out couch, Chloe leaning against her.

"Think this could work?" She asked quietly, tilting her head to Beca.

"I hope so." She really did, the last thing she wanted was to scare Chloe away with the one thing Beca couldn't control.


End file.
